


How To Win At Love

by jensooni



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Mamamoo, Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, High School, Romantic Comedy, Useless Lesbians, biker kim jisoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 87,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jensooni/pseuds/jensooni
Summary: Rosé has a crush on LisaLisa has a crush on JennieJennie has a crush on JisooJisoo has a crush on RoséSo with this complicated web of feelings, how do you think it will end up for them? In heartache or something more?
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Jennie Kim/Kim Jisoo, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Lalisa Manoban | Lisa/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a JenSoo and ChaeLisa fanfic, but I just wanted to explore this dynamic. 
> 
> Also, this fic was inspired by one of my favorite rom-com mangas/anime which is School Rumble. I suggest you read/watch it because it is really good! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy my story!

_Love, what a mysterious word._ Thought Kim Jisoo, as she rode into school with her motorcycle, which was a matte black Honda VFR800X Crossrunner.

As she arrived, some students were beginning to take notice of her presence, and could not help but stare at her.

This really wasn't anything new. The reason for this was because Kim Jisoo wasn't just any ordinary high school student. Kim Jisoo was in fact, YG High's most notorious delinquent, even more so than any of her male classmates.

Another factor that came into play was that she was also very good looking, which made her even more mysterious and intimidating to the whole student body.

As she took off her helmet, her long raven locks blew to the wind, her soft brown eyes giving a look of supreme confidence and her heart-shaped lips formed into a knowing smirk.

With her black leather jacket, white shirt with a Pikachu print in front of it, black skinny jeans and black combat boots, Kim Jisoo looked the part of the badass student; well maybe except for the Pikachu print. But it didn't matter, the way she carried herself was clue enough to let everybody know that she was not someone to be messed with.

Unknown to them, Jisoo was quite busy with her thoughts. Thoughts about her ultimate crush and how her plan had been set into motion so that she would finally be classmates with her this year.

_Park Chaeyoung. Finally, this is it! This is the year that I, Kim Jisoo, will win you over!_

Jisoo may be the school's ultimate delinquent, but what they didn't know was that she was such a sappy person at heart.

She closed her eyes and felt giddy as she imagined her and Chaeyoung together.

One student was looking at her with a puzzled expression. Jisoo noticed this right away and gave the student a glare.

"What you looking at?" she asked roughly.

The poor student's eyes widened, shook his head and ran away. Jisoo gave a small chuckle.

However, her smile faded when she thought about it logically. _I must be careful about my reactions when I think about Chaeng, or they will think I'm going crazy._ She told herself.

She immediately looked for the room she had to be in first thing in the morning. She finally found it and scanned inside. Much to her delight, she was able to find the person she was looking for.

_Yes! Lucky lucky Jisoo! This is MY destiny! No wait, OUR destiny!_

She looked back inside again and stared at the pretty girl with rose gold locks who was looking out the window, deep in thought.

Jisoo would have wanted to jump, or tumble or whoop, but of course, she couldn't take the risk of looking like a complete idiot. She was here to impress Chaeng, so she slowly walked to the table right next to her and the window.

As she sat down, her phone buzzed and she read the message. It was from her best friend Seulgi.

**Seulgi:**  
So, are you in the same classroom as her?

**Jisoo:**  
Oh yeah, definitely! It's my time to let her know I exist and begin with the process of impressing her by using my irresistible charm!

**Seulgi:**  
I'm pretty sure she knows you exist. However, failing and being retained in the same year is definitely not impressive...or charming.

**Jisoo:**  
It's all part of my plan. Once she knows the reason, she'll think it was sweet of me that I did everything to be with her.

**Seulgi:**  
Sure, tell that to yourself as many times as you can. Maybe if you click your heels together 3 times, it may even come true.

**Jisoo:**  
You have no faith in me, Kang. I swear, I am confident that our love will see this through!

**Seulgi:**  
God, your delusion Kim has reached critical levels! I'm just gonna stop texting or I might get infected with whatever psychosis you have right now.

**Jisoo:**  
You know you love me, Seulbear. 😊

**Seulgi:**  
Whatever.

Jisoo put her phone back in her pocket. That's right, she did fail on purpose so that she had the opportunity to be classmates with Chaeng, as she was a year older.

Jisoo knew it sounded crazy, well it was crazy, but with Jisoo, anything goes. She had a mind not a lot of people really understood, even Seulgi sometimes. But that was her, and it was time to play her cards right with the girl of her dreams. She glanced at Chaeng, who was still staring out the window, deep in her thoughts.

_She is so damn pretty!_ Jisoo sighed to herself. Especially now that she was wearing a white and yellow sundress with flowery prints.

It seemed that Chaeng noticed Jisoo staring at her. She then gave Chaeyoung the best smile she could muster. Chaeng then gave her an uneasy grin and decided to look at the front of the room.

_You might not know it now Chaeng, but I am sure you will definitely be falling for me soon._ Jisoo said to herself, smirking confidently.


	2. I Like You But She Likes Her

Chaeyoung Park, or Rosé, as some of her friends called her, was deep in thought as she stared out the window.

She had her hands cupped to her chin, and sighed heavily as one person came into her mind.

 _What do you do when you're in love with your best friend?_ She asked herself. It had been bugging her for a few months now.

Lisa Manoban had been her best friend since they were in 4th grade. They had shared a lot of things and had been through so much together. One day, she suddenly realized she had feelings that were definitely not related to being a best friend, but she knew she would never be Lisa's type.

Lisa was after all very popular at YG. She was the soccer team's captain and leader of the school's dance club. She had girls all over her and was able to pick up any chick she wanted if she decided she liked them enough. Apparently, Rosé wasn't one of the girls Lisa liked to be romantically involved with.

She then noticed somone had been staring at her for sometime. When she saw who it was, her heart jumped immediately. It was Kim Jisoo, the notorious delinquint of YG High. Jisoo had smiled at her, she didn't know what to do, so she gave her an uneasy grin and looked to the front of the classroom.

 _Wait. Why is she here? Isn't she supposed to be a Senior?_ Rosé thought.

_Why was she looking at me though? That was scary. I hope I won't get bullied by her, that would be awful. I never did anything to her._

She was getting a little scared until she heard a familiar voice call out her name.

"Chaeng-ah! Chaeng-ah!"

Rosè smiled to herself, nobody would be this annoying early in the morning except Lisa. Thoughts of Jisoo evaporated immediately.

"Ah Lisa-yah! It's so early in the morning but you're so full of energy!"

"Well of course! Why shouldn't I be?" Lisa said as she gave Rosé her widest grin, which made her heart flutter.

Lisa was quite tall, but Rosé was an inch taller than her. She had long, ash brown hair that fell below her shoulders. She always had a mischevious look on her dark brown eyes and had a lanky build. Today, she had her favorite plain black hoodie on with gray skinny jeans and a pair of black and white chucks. Rosé thought she looked really cute.

"I wonder why you're so happy today?" Rosé asked her, and Lisa grinned even wider, which made her stomach do flipflops. The answer was not far behind.

"Is she always this cheerful early in the morning, Chaeng?" somebody asked her behind Lisa. Rosé tilted her head to see who it was.

 _Of course._ Rosé sighed.

It seems that her best friend was happy because they were now classmates with Jennie Kim. Jennie was known as the school's Ice Princess due to the fact that she always had her resting bitch face on. It didn't help that she was also quite sarcastic and would rebuff or play with the feelings of anyone who tried to ask her out.

Not only that, Jennie was good looking and very rich. Her cat eyes seemed to bore into your soul and her brown, wavy hair fell perfectly below her shoulders. She was also known as the school's fashion icon. In fact today, she had on a brown off-shoulder top with faded blue jeans and white sneakers.

Also, Lisa had a huge crush on Jennie, and the three of them were good friends. She knew despite Jennie's reputation, that she was a good person and a softie. She just didn't believe in love due to her parents splitting up. But she also got jealous that Lisa had a crush on her.

"Yes. She's after all, someone who's always on caffeine 24/7." Rosé answered her. Jennie gave her an amused smile.

"I should look out for that then. Too much energy can be tiring in the morning."

"Aah, but Jennie-yah! It's always nice to be happy and positive! Especially now that you're here." Lisa winked. Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Clearly were not on the same page, Manoban."

Rosé giggled. At least Jennie always spurned Lisa's attention, which made her feel better.

"Aah! That was painful, Kim!" Lisa said, mockingly putting her hands on her chest and pretending to have been shot.

"There's more where that came from." Jennie told her.

"I'll forgive you if we kiss and make up." Lisa said, smirking.

"Thanks Lisa, but the Energizer Bunny isn't exactly my type."

Chaeyoung had laughed out loud at what Jennie had said. She felt bad for Lisa, but then again, that was a pretty good burn.

Lisa just smiled and grinned sheepishly. She had once again, struck out with Jennie Kim.


	3. The Things You Do For Love

Jisoo had noticed how Chaeng's eyes had lit up when she saw Lisa, and the way she smiled as they spoke with one another. Jisoo groaned.

_Of course, I'm classmates with her too._

Jisoo was aware that Chaeng liked Lisa, it was so obvious. Lisa on the other hand, was oblivious to this fact and kept on hitting other girls.

 _You already have the perfect girl in front of you, idiot! But then again, more chances for me! Why am I even complaining?_ Jisoo grinned at herself.

She also noticed Jennie Kim.

A _aand m_ _iss rich and popular is here too._

Jisoo observed that Lisa kept on checking out Jennie every now and then. She also had that look which obviously showed that she really liked her.

Jisoo smirked. _Well Manoban, I know you're a hit with the ladies, but you are definitely knocking on the wrong door. Princess doesn't go out with anyone, not even you._

She sighed as she observed Chaeng laughing and talking with her friends. She even chuckled when Lisa had struck out with Jennie.

"I'm just curious Jen, have you not ever liked someone?" Chaeng had asked her.

"You mean romantically?"

"Yes."

"Not really." Jennie shrugged "Nobody has had that impact on me yet."

Lisa had swallowed after she made that comment "So uhm, what do you think would make an impact on you?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

Jennie thought "I dunno really. I mean, a lot of people have asked me out or confessed to me. It just feels...empty. I think that when you confess to someone, you should see and feel it. Where they mean what they say and sincerely want you to be a part of their lives. I mean, I know that love doesn't always last, and if it does, it's quite rare. I don't want to waste my time and effort on someone who might just leave me in the end."

Chaeng smiled "Oh, I didn't know you were such a romantic, Jen."

Jennie gave her a sheepish grin and gently smacked her on the shoulder.

"It's nothing, I wouldn't expect that to be happening to me anytime soon. That is just how I view things"

Chaeng thought about it "You're right. I think confessing to someone you like should completely show your sincerity and conviction."

Jisoo's ears perked up. _Ooh, she likes that too huh? Sincerity and conviction. I can do that!_

Lisa cleared her throat "Well, who knows Jen? Maybe one of these days, someone might surprise you."

 _Not happening, Manoban._ Jisoo thought.

"I'm not holding my breath." Jennie said.

The bell rang to signal the start of their class.

**************************************

Their first teacher for today was Miss Lee Sunmi. Jisoo was under her last year, and although she was one of the hottest teachers she's ever had, she knew Miss Lee was pretty serious when it came to her class.

She wasn't surprised when she asked them to do a quick quiz to brush up on their English translation skills and to check their ability with the language.

Jisoo cracked her knuckles.

_Alright! Phase one of impressing Park Chaeyoung now begins!_

She was pretty confident as she knew she was really good in English.

She took a glimpse at Chaeng's paper when she realized that the girl had not written her name yet.

_Uh-oh, Sunmi is very particular with that. She will be failed immediately!_

Sweat trickled down her brows. What to do? She didn't want Chaeng to fail her first test just because of that! How should she warn her?

Jisoo bowed her head down and scratched it.

_Fuck it, I'll try to tell her._

She faced Chaeng, careful to check if Sunmi was looking in their direction. She then mouthed her name.

_Chaeng! Chaeyoung! Park Chaeyoung! Look at me!_

Chaeng continued staring at her paper intently.

_Yeah Jisoo, being a goldfish will definitely help._

"Chaeyoung! Your name, you forgot to put your name!" she whispered loudly. Still no sign of Chaeng noticing her.

Jisoo groaned. This was definitely not working. She then had an idea, she didn't care if she would look like an idiot with this move, as long as Chaeng didn't fail.

"Ahahahaha! Oh my! I almost forgot to write my name. Imagine, I would have failed this test if I hadn't noticed that!" She said loudly, scratching her head and grinning sheepishly. Chaeng looked at her and laughed as well.

Sunmi laughed along with the class. "Glad you were able to check that, Jisoo. Be careful next time."

"I will. Thanks, Miss Lee!"

Chaeng smiled and got back to her paper, but didn't check if she had her name on it.

_Oh for the love of God, you still haven't noticed that your name isn't there?! That was for you Chaeng! You looked so cute laughing at me, but still!_

Jisoo took a deep breath. She tapped her pencil on her head, trying to think of another way to help her.

She then wrote something on the last translation question.

"Oh, this test is too easy! I was able to answer the last one without a sweat! Jisoo exclaimed loudly.

"Good for you, Jisoo!" Sunmi told her happily.

Chaeng looked at her and Jisoo showed her her paper. She had written "You forgot to write your name." as the answer to the last question. Chaeng smiled and had a puzzled look, but shrugged and wrote the same thing as her answer on her paper.

Jisoo facepalmed. _Oh man, she just assumed that it was the answer for that number!_ _But still, that was a major hint, Chaeng. You're still such a cutie though even if you're clueless._

Jisoo sighed, she looked pretty serious with her test, but in reality, she was struggling to try and see how to help Chaeng. Then an idea struck her. She decided that she was going to write Chaeng's name on her paper. She would fail in the place of her one true love.

She then imagined Chaeng noticing that her paper was not hers, and asking Sunmi about it. Sunmi then telling her that the only one without a name on it was her, Kim Jisoo. She would realize that Jisoo was trying to help her, and would talk to her, thanking her. It would be the start of their beautiful relationship.

 _You certainly are one of a kind, Kim Jisoo._ She told herself.

She quickly wrote Chaeng's name.

"Time's up! Pass your papers." Miss Lee told the class.

 _Oh shit!_ Jisoo had barely made a dent on the paper. She hurridly scribbled some answers, but Sunmi quickly took the paper away from her.

She put her face on the table. At the end of the day, after all her efforts, Chaeng was still going to fail her first English exam.


	4. Hatching A Plan

The bell rang to signal the start of their lunch period. Lisa yawned, stretching her long body in the process.

_Aah! Man I'm famished!_

"Chaeng-ah, let's go eat. I'm starving!"

"Oh my God, me too! I've been thinking about food all day."

Lisa chuckled, she knew Chaeng meant that. When it comes to having an unbreakable relationship, it was definitely Rosé and food.

"Hey Jen, eat with us." Lisa said, extending an invitation to her.

"Sure, why not?" She agreed.

"Awesome! To the cafeteria then!"

Jennie smiled and shook her head in amusement.

 _Yes! Some progress!_ Lisa thought, giving herself a secret pat on the back.

She couldn't deny that she had a really strong attraction to the brunette. She was beautiful and smart, her eyes were her most attractive feature on her body, and she was also a kind-hearted person, despite her persona.

She knew having a crush on Jennie Kim was akin to suicide. She knew Jennie never agreed to be asked out and was quick to deny her suitors, which made her more appealing to the general population of YG. But she wanted to give it a try.

 _There's always a first time for everything._ She said to herself.

Chaeng had suddenly held her hand and intertwined it with hers, then placed her head on one of her shoulders.

"Let's go Lisa, before I die of starvation." Chaeng cried and gave her a small pout. Lisa smiled warmly at her.

"Yeah, let's go. I don't want my best friend dying on me." Chaeng smiled sweetly as they walked towards the cafeteria.

When they finally picked their lunch, they sat on one of the tables and started eating. Lisa was looking at Jennie, who was eating and reading at the same time.

"Is that a good book?" Lisa asked

Jennie looked up, "I didn't know you liked to read."

Lisa gave her a lopsided smile, "I don't, but maybe if you can recommend me something good, I'll give it a shot."

"I highly doubt it, but maybe you can start with the Harry Potter series."

"I've seen all the movies, why would I want to read the same story?"

Jennie smirked and looked at her, "Because not everything can be translated on screen. Besides, books can give you a wider perspective of what's happening. It's also way better than the movies."

Lisa thought about it. "Okay, if that's the case, I'll go ahead and give it a try."

Jennie shrugged "Okay.", and got back to reading her book.

Lisa sighed. Jennie was indeed difficult to get through. How was she going to get the girl when she couldn't find a common ground about the both of them?

While she was thinking, she heard a message ringtone. Jennie quickly got her phone, read the message and groaned.

"Oh no, I forgot I needed to work with Irene about the preparation for her inauguration as Student Council President. I'm sorry guys, I have to go. See you later Lisa, Chaeng."

She then got her things and started walking to the direction of the student council office. Lisa sighed.

"What should I do, Chaeng-ah?"

Rosé raised her eyebrows, "Oh, so now I exist?"

Lisa laughed, "Oh come on, Chaeng. We don't get to be with Jennie that often. I'm sorry if I ignored you for a bit. Please, please forgive me?", she said, pouting and holding Rosé's hand.

Rosé could not resist her puppy-dog eyed look and smiled, "Fine. Be thankful that I love your dumb ass."

Lisa grinned, "I knew you couldn't resist me, Chaeng-ah!"

"Shut up, Lisa!", she said, and looked down as she could feel her cheeks burning.

"I really like Jennie, and want to impress her. But I don't know what to do.", she said sadly.

Rosé sighed and took a deep breath, she knew she was going to regret this.

"Well, Jennie did mention about someone confessing to her in the most sincerest way possible. Maybe you can work on that and see where it goes from there?"

Lisa hadn't thought of that. Of course! She can try to do that.

"Oh my God! You're a genius, Chaeng! That could certainly work in my favor! Did I ever tell you you're the greatest best friend ever?"

"Geez, you sound like a six year old. And duh, yeah, you told me that like, a hundred times!"

Lisa hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Chaeng!"

"I love you too, Lis.", she answered weakly, feeling her heart break a bit.


	5. Surprising News

Jisoo was eating at a table near Rosé. She was close enough to hear their conversation, and shook her head at Lisa's attempt to talk to Jennie about reading.

 _Manoban, you can do better than that_.

When Jennie left, and she heard Rosé advise her about the confession, Jisoo frowned. She could see that Chaeng was hurt, but still thought about what her best friend felt first.

L _isa_ _, you idiot! Hurting Chaeng like that because you're a dense moron. Can't you see how kind-hearted Chaeng is? Do you know how lucky you are?_

She snorted, and took another bite at her sandwich, frustrated about their ongoing conversation. Someone dumped a tray in front of her.

"So now you've decided to become a stalker?"

Jisoo looked up and saw that it was Seulgi. She looked very unimpressed about her current situation.

"I'm not stalking, I'm simply observing."

"Jisoo, that's still the same thing. I won't be surprised if Chaeng might later think you were some kind of creep." she whispered to her.

"Look, I'm not gonna follow her home or anything. I am still trying to see how I can get to know her more." Jisoo said, sounding defensive.

"You know what normal people do? They talk to them. Why don't you do that instead?"

"Well, uhm. I'm...uh...kinda shy." she smiled and scratched her head. Seulgi rolled her eyes.

"The last person I would bet on being shy is you! You can just walk up to her and start a fucking conversation, like you do with other girls."

"I could, but I don't know what I would say."

Seulgi put both hands on her temples, she felt that a headache was on it's way.

"Jisoo, you are like, one of the most confident people I know when it comes to picking up girls. Chaeng is a girl, with boobs and a vagina, she isn't any different."

"Alright, alright, sheesh. I'll try later."

"You better do or I'm kicking your ass."

"As if you could."

"Watch me."

**************************************

Jennie Kim had reached the student council office. She opened the door and saw that Irene was already working on something. She sighed and went straight to her.

"Hey Irene! I am so sorry! It slipped my mind that we were meeting today."

Irene looked up and smiled at her, "It's okay, Jen. I already started working on something the other night, so it's all good."

This was so typically Irene. She and Jennie have been the best of friends as long as she can remember, and both their families knew each other too. There was no doubt in Jennie's mind that she was one of the nicest and kindest people she had ever met. Not only that, Irene was a total stunner, and it wasn't surprising that a lot of people have been lining up to get her attention.

She felt guilty that she had forgotten all about their agreement due to a lot of things happening at their house.

"Still, I shouldn't have forgotten, I did make a promise to you."

"You are such a softie, Nini. It's fine, really."

"But-"

"No buts. Come on and help me finish these instead."

Jennie sighed and sat down. There was no point in arguing with Irene once she set her mind to it. As she started to work with what Irene was able to make, Jennie noticed the wallpaper on her friend's lockscreen. She gasped.

"Rene, isn't that Kang Seulgi on your lock screen?"

Irene looked up and blushed furiously. She quickly hid her phone.

Jennie eyed her suspiciously, "Why is she on your lockscreen? Care to explain?"

"I-it's nothing. Just don't mind it.", still blushing.

"Are you going out with her?"

"N-n-no!"

"Then why?"

"I-it's really nothing. Let's continue working."

Jennie crossed her arms.

"Irene Joohyun Bae, you better explain or I'm not going to be happy about this." Jennie stated, glaring at her.

Irene looked at her and sighed.

"Okay, fine! Well, uhm, actually, we have been dating for awhile now."

Jennie raised her eyebrow, "Elaborate _"for awhile",_ Rene."

"For about...2 months?"

"2 months?! How come you never told me this?"

"Well, I knew you wouldn't really approve of it, but I swear, I was just looking for the right time to tell you. I just didn't know how, because I knew you would be upset."

"Upset is an understatement. You know about the crowd that Seulgi hangs out with, and she's best friends with that Kim Jisoo."

"She's not so bad once you get to know her."

"She could be a bad influence on you and you might get into trouble. She could also be playing with you because you're now the Student Council President."

"Seulgi isn't like that."

"You never know, Rene. Don't trust too easily."

"I don't, Jen. She has proven time and again that I can trust her. Can you please give her a chance? Just get to know her."

"What? And be seen with her and Jisoo?"

"Even Jisoo isn't really bad. Look, I am your best friend. Can you please trust me on this?"

Jennie looked at her, still mad.

"Please Jen, this means a lot to me."

Jennie exhaled. She didn't like this one bit, but her best friend was begging her.

"Fine. But if I find something wrong with her, I will not support you on this."

"Deal."

Jennie had no choice but to go along with what Irene wanted, for now.


	6. I'm Not Crying, It's Just Raining

Classes had ended, and Jennie needed to pick up something in a store nearby for Irene's inauguration. She was still not over the fact that her best friend was dating Kang Seulgi.

Her. Irene Bae, dating Kang Seulgi. It was like the most unbelievable pairing in all of history.

Seulgi was like Jisoo's second-in-command when it came to all of their antics. Jennie knew they had a sort of gang which consisted of Jisoo, Seulgi, Moonbyul, Momo and Sooyoung.

She never heard anything good about them, so it was really hard to believe that Irene, like nice girl, goody-two-shoes Irene, would fall for Seulgi.

That was why Jennie was unconvinced that Seulgi was serious about her best friend. For all she knew, she could be using her so she can bail her out of trouble in school and whatnot.

That was why Jennie decided on meeting and getting to know Seulgi to get to the bottom of it.

_I mean, isn't it warning enough that her own best friend, Jisoo, was sent back a year?_

She also knew their gang got into a lot of fights and it seems that everywhere they went, trouble followed. Jennie didn't like that kind of life for Irene.

She was still deep in her thoughts when she arrived at the store.

While she was picking out on what to get, her phone rang. She checked who was calling and saw that it was her Dad.

 _What does he need this time?,_ muttered Jennie.

She finally picked up on the 5th ring.

"Hello Dad."

"Hi baby. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Good to hear that. Anyway baby, I just called because I needed some help."

Jennie took a deep breath "Is this about Mom again?"

"Well...yes. I am sorry baby, but she is just being a pain in the ass. I need her to settle on something to finalize the divorce, but she won't budge."

"What would that be?"

Her Dad sounded uneasy. "Well, it's custody over you. I mean, I love you baby, but I have too much on my hands to take care of you properly, I don't have time because of work. You know how demanding the business is, and I don't want to keep leaving you alone just because of that."

"What did Mom say?"

"The same thing. She wants me to have main custody over you, but I feel that she can give you more time than me."

Jennie felt a lump on her throat. It was already stressful enough that they still fought even after they separated and had her go in between them most of the time. Now they didn't want her? Their daughter? Was this some kind of a sick joke?

"So you want me to convince Mom to keep me?" Jennie asked dully.

"Yes, basically, but just for now while we figure things out. But of course, we can schedule time together baby, I would miss you badly if I wouldn't be able to see you."

Jennie wanted to laugh. Both her parents were barely able to see her on normal days, even when they were together. Work took too much of their time and attention.

"I dunno, I'll try and talk to her about it."

"That's my girl! I am really sorry baby, I wish I could be the one, but you know how it is. Someday, when you take over the business, you'll understand."

_I highly doubt it._

"Okay Dad, I'll let you know once I'm done speaking with Mom."

"Great! Thanks kiddo! I owe you big time. Anyway, I have to go, I love you!"

Jennie didn't respond, instead she ended the call.

_Yeah, here's badass Jennie Kim. Rich and popular, gets everything she wants! Everything except normal parents! Or parents who wanted her!_

Tears were already threatening to fall from her eyes, it was all too much. She didn't know what to do. Her heart felt like it was in a vise and she had a hard time breathing. She ran outside to catch some air.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to escape everything causing her pain.

 _What a fucking perfect life indeed!_ She told herself.

She felt the slow trickle of raindrops on her face. She closed her eyes and looked up the sky. After a few minutes, the rain started pouring. She didn't care that she was getting soaked, all she wanted was just to make the pain go away. Her tears started to fall freely, she just wanted the rain to help wash away the helplessness that was threatening to take over her.

While she was standing there in the rain, she didn't notice a figure going towards her direction. It was not until she realized that she could no longer feel the rain on her body, that she knew someone was there.

She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was an umbrella over her head. When she turned around to see who it was, she was even more surprised.

The one holding the umbrella over her head was none other than Jisoo.

Although she held such a stoic expression, when their eyes met, she could feel the sincerity of her concern in her soft brown eyes.

Jennie, with all the pain, anger and sadness in her heart, hugged Jisoo tightly and cried freely, disregarding the fact that she barely knew her at all.

"Uhmm...are you okay? W-why are you crying?" asked Jisoo awkwardly.

"I'm not crying, it's just raining."


	7. I Don't Care, Really

Jisoo was stopping by one of her favorite stalls, she had a hankering for chicken skewers, and so far, these were the best ones she had ever tasted. As usual, she bought five of them, and happily munched on them while drinking her favorite chocolate drink.

She looked up the sky and saw the dark angry clouds above.

 _It's going to rain soon._ She told herself.

_I might as well hang around here, I can't be fucked to drive in the rain._

She checked her phone and saw that she didn't have any messeges.

She knew her friends were busy with their own things. She also knew Seulgi was going on a date with Irene.

 _Lucky bastard, I wonder how she blackmailed Irene into going out with her._ She said to herself, and chuckled at the thought.

While she was finishing up on her last skewer, she noticed that Jennie Kim had walked out of the store and stopped near the entrance.

She could see that she had a really sad expression and was holding back her tears. Jisoo's eyebrows furrowed.

_Whatever it is, it's not my fucking problem._

The rain then started to fall, and she saw that Jennie did not move from her spot.

_Is she trying to get herself sick?_

She watched as seconds ticked by, Jennie still did not move from her spot. She could see that he shoulders were moving and it seemed that she was crying.

Jisoo exhaled. _Nope, Jisoo, it is not your problem. Let her be, she'll be fine._

But her guilt was eating at her, she didn't like seeing the brunette on the street, crying under the rain. She huffed and went to her motorcycle, and got the small umbrella she had stashed in there.

She opened it and walked towards Jennie, and used the umbrella to shield her from the rain.

Jennie had took notice of her presence, she looked into Jisoo's eyes, who saw the pain and sadness in those brown orbs. Jisoo's heart was tugged somehow and was concerned on what may have caused this.

Suddenly, Jennie had wrapped her arms around her and cried even harder than before. She was bewildered, she had no idea what to do. They barely said two words to each other after all.

Not knowing what else to do or say, she swallowed and asked, "Uhmm...are you okay? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying, it's just raining." Jennie sobbed.

Jisoo sighed, she gently patted her back.

"Come on, let's take a seat over there until the rain stops." she told her.

Jennie just bowed her head down and stood there, so Jisoo decided to take matters into her own hands and grabbed Jennie's wrist, leading her towards the seats where she had been eating chicken skewers earlier.

She closed her umbrella and sat next to her. Both of them were silent, taking in the scenes in front of them.

Jisoo decided not to push her with questions, based on what she had observed about her, she knew Jennie was the type who liked to keep things private.

She saw that Jennie was thoroughly soaked from standing under the rain and was beginning to shiver from the cold. She sighed and got up again and took an extra white shirt from her bike.

She gave the shirt to Jennie, and took off her leather jacket and gave that to her as well.

"There's a public restroom next to the stall, you can change there."

Jennie looked at her with a shocked expression.

"N-no, it's fine."

"It's not, you'll get sick."

"I'm okay."

"Princess, now is not the time to be stubborn. You're soaking wet, and you're shivering. Just change. It's just a shirt and a jacket. Go on, it won't bite."

Jennie gulped, she was right, she felt cold. But it was really weird accepting help from the notorious delinquint, but since she was being kind, she took her up on that offer and changed.

When she finally got out, Jisoo looked at her and smirked.

"You look good in that, but we all know I'd look even better."

Jennie gave a small smile, "Of course, it has to be about you in the end."

"Naturally." Jisoo grinned. Jennie smiled back.

The rain finally trickled to a stop, Jisoo looked up to the sky and then stood up.

She contemplated on doing it, she knew she didn't have to, but for some unknown reason, she just wanted to make sure Jennie was okay. That she was going to be safe.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

Jennie looked at her with a confused expression "I...you don't have to. I'll be fine." she said softly.

"Yeah, I know, but I want to. Come on, before I change my mind."

Jennie exhaled, she looked at Jisoo's stubborn expression and knew there was no point in arguing with her. She stood up, and looked warily at the motorcycle.

"I don't think it's very safe." she said.

Jisoo smirked, "Don't worry, I am not a demon on wheels, and this can help you get to your house faster than a car. Besides, I'm a pretty good driver."

She gave her extra helmet to Jennie. She always took it with her as her friends were always asking for rides.

Jennie took the helmet and wore it. She struggled in putting on the strap and Jisoo helped her with it, hearing a click as Jisoo locked the the strap in for her.

Jisoo took a step back and smiled. "There. Now you can be sure that your cute self is going to be safe." she exclaimed, Jennie blushed.

"U-uhm...thanks!"

Jisoo laughed and got on her bike and revved it up. "Come on, let's go."

For some reason, Jennie felt her heart flutter at this. Jisoo WAS gorgeous after all, and it didn't help that she was being nice to her for some reason.

Jennie got on the bike.

"Hold on tight. I don't want your parents suing me if something happens to you."

"They might sue you if they just saw me on this thing with you."

"Hey, don't hurt her feelings. She's not just a thing."

"Sure."

Jisoo grinned, "Ready?"

"Yeah..." Jennie replied, but sounding unsure.

"Where do you live?"

Jennie gave her the address, and Jisoo nodded.

Jennie gingerly wrapped her arms around Jisoo's waist, her heart beating fast. She took it as a sign that she was just nervous riding a motorcycle.

Jisoo sighed and gently took her wrists and pulled her arms even further around her, helping Jennie lock them securely in place. Her heart pounded even faster and she could feel her face heat up.

Jisoo suddenly took off, making Jennie hold on even tighter. She made a little squeal with the older girl giving her an amused laughter.

After 10 mintues with Jennie keeping her eyes closed during the whole duration of the ride, they finally arrived. Jisoo killed her engine and whistled as she saw Jennie's house. It was huge.

"Lifestyles of the rich and the famous."

Jennie got off and removed the helmet, giving it to Jisoo.

Jisoo looked at her, "You good now?"

"Yeah. Thanks. For everything. I'll give your shirt and jacket back tomorrow" she said shyly.

"Well, this is my exit then."

"Wait. Why?"

Jisoo looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"I mean, why did you take the time to help me? I..I mean I didn't think you'd be the type to care."

Jisoo grinned at her "I don't. I was just bored, that's all."

She started her engine "Bye Princess, don't get sick now."

With that, Jisoo revved up her bike and zoomed out into the street, leaving Jennie wondering about the whole encounter.


	8. Decisions

Lisa arrived early for their class, which was a first. She was still sleepy and was yawning constantly, clearly not used to getting up around this hour.

Not that she really needed to, she just couldn't sleep, plus a certain brunette was constantly on her mind these days.

She was never this way with other women, yeah sure she liked some of them, but she didn't usually bother thinking too much about them.

She was still contemplating about what Chaeng told her yesterday, about actually confessing her feelings to Jennie. She couldn't lie to herself, it was indeed a scary prospect and there was a very high chance of Jennie rejecting her.

She was sitting in her desk, still rummaging through her thoughts, when she noticed that Jisoo had also arrived early. She was quite surprised, as she wasn't sure if she was the type to come in at this time or if it was just a coincidence.

She noticed that she did look quite tired. Lisa figured she must like to hang out with her friends late at night.

So far, despite her reputation, the girl had not really shown any problems within their class. She was quiet and mostly kept to herself.

Everyone else was pretty nervous to talk to her anyway, nobody really bothered her and she didn't bother anyone back.

She shrugged and got back to thinking about what she should really do about Jennie.

As if having her in her thoughts wasn't enough, Jennie had arrived, walking in with that confident aura surrounding her, all eyes seemed to turn towards her, as if mesmirized by her presence.

She seemed to be scanning the room, trying to find someone. Her eyes perked up when she finally found who she was looking for.

Lisa's eyebrows shot up when she saw who Jennie was walking towards, it seemed impossible, yet it was happening in front of her eyes.

Jennie was walking towards Kim Jisoo.

_Wait. Are they friends?_

As far as Lisa knew, Jennie did not approve of Jisoo's gang and they barely spoke to each other. So it was indeed a huge surprise to her when Jennie stopped in front of Jisoo and gave her a shy smile.

Jisoo on the other hand, looked quite amused at how Jennie just nonchalantly walked towards her.

Lisa couldn't hear their conversation, but seeing Jennie looking a bit flustered as she handed a paper bag to her was a sight you would rarely see.

It was obvious that Jennie was trying to keep her cool, but seemed embarrassed about something. Jisoo just calmly listened to her and took the paperbag from her.

Jisoo had laughed at something Jennie had said, which made the latter puff up her cheeks in frustration, and made Jisoo laugh even more.

It made Jennie look really cute instead of intimidating, which normally would make her heart flutter, but her being like that in front of Jisoo did not make her feel happy at all.

In fact, if she did not know any better, she felt jealous of the attention Jisoo was getting from her.

Was it possible that Jennie Kim had a crush on Jisoo? But that wouldn't make sense.

But if it was, she had a sinking feeling inside the pit of her stomach.

Lisa may have a reputation with girls, but Jisoo was the same as well. If she sensed Jennie liked her, it would be too easy for her to make her as one of her conquests, a challenge no one had ever done.

This disturbed Lisa a lot.

She was too caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Chaeyoung had arrived and was calling out her name for the third time.

"Yah, Lalisa!" she said loudly, while slapping her arm which helped snap Lisa out of her trance.

"Oh, hey Chaeng." she said, but she was still frowning and her brows were deeply furrowed.

Chaeng looked at her, concern was etched all over her face.

"Is something the matter?"

"Uh-yeah, nah. Everything's fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

Chaeng raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything further. She gave out a frustrated sigh.

Lisa knew that her best friend could tell something was up, but she just didn't want to discuss it now.

She now knew what to do, it was all or nothing.

Lisa had decided. She was going to confess to Jennie later.

**************************************

Chaeyoung sighed again. _What is up with Lisa? Why is she not telling me anything?_

She decided to finish up the assignment for last period, she still had 3 more numbers to go before their class officially started.

She was going to ignore Lisa for now.

"You look pretty serious there." Someone told her. She looked up and saw that it was Jisoo, who gave her a small smile.

Chaeng was frozen for a bit, she didn't know how to react. She felt Jisoo wasn't all that bad, but this was the first time she actually had tried talking to her like that.

Jisoo scratched her head and chuckled "Sorry, it's just that you looked pretty bummed about something."

Chaeng exhaled. _Come on, you won't spontaneously combust if you're gonna be actually nice to her back._

"Thanks for noticing, it's nothing really." she said.

Jisoo looked at her paper "Math assignment?"

Chaeng nodded, Jisoo made a face.

"Math and I never work out, I knew from the very start that our relationship would crumble the first time I counted one to ten."

Chaeng chuckled "Math doesn't agree with me very much either, but I kinda have to keep working on it. It's very one-sided."

 _Yeah, like me and Lisa_. Chaeng thought.

"One-sided things never work out, it has to be give and take."

"I guess you have a point, but I have no choice when it comes to this Math assignment."

"I guess."

Though at the moment it felt like they weren't conversing about Math anymore.

"Have you finished yours?"

"Yup. Done and done. Would you like to copy? I don't mind." Jisoo offered.

"The offer is very tempting, but I also want to learn how it is done. I'm sorry if I have to refuse."

"No need to apologize, I understand perfectly."

Chaeng smiled, "Thanks for understanding."

Before Jisoo could fire in another question, the bell rang and their teacher had walked inside. Chaeng then got her pen and notebook ready, then turned again towards Jisoo, who gave her one of her most genuine smiles.


	9. Before You Tell Her

Chaeyoung noticed that Lisa was still a little spaced out during lunch. She still wouldn't tell her the reason why, which was starting to annoy her.

"Lisa."

"Hmm?"

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Chaeyoung sighed. She decided to get right to the point and ask her directly about what was on her mind on why she was being like this.

"This is about Jennie isn't it?"

Lisa's eyes grew wide, but then her brows furrowed again.

"Lisa, I'm not some stranger, I am your best friend. Talk to me."

Lisa sighed "I think Jen likes another person." She mumbled.

"Who is it?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

Lisa inhaled deeply. "I think it's Jisoo."

Chaeng cocked an eyebrow "What?"

"See, I told you that you wouldn't believe it."

Chaeng rolled her eyes. "It's not that I don't believe you, but what makes you so sure about that? They aren't even friends. Jennie also likes to keep out of trouble."

"I saw them talking earlier, actually it looked like Jennie was really into her or something. All of this happened before you arrived."

"Oh?"

"Yep, and Jennie was acting all cute and flustered, it was weird. Maybe Jisoo made a move on her? Probably thinking that she's a challenge she can conquer?"

"Well...maybe you're just looking into it too much. Maybe it was just a harmless conversation. Perhaps Jennie was not comfortable talking to her?"

"She looked pretty comfortable to me."

"Lisa, this is Jennie we are talking about. Maybe you are just rushing into conclusions and being jealous over nothing."

"I dunno Chaeng, you weren't there. Plus, you know, Jisoo is known to collect girls here and there."

"And you don't?"

"Yeah, I used to. But I want to be serious with Jennie."

Chaeng's heart felt like it was pinched. She gave a rueful smile.

"I dunno, Jisoo doesn't seem to be like she's actually a bad person."

"And you know that how?"

"She's nice to me, I guess?"

"Wait she talked to you?"

"Yes?"

Lisa's eyes darkened.

"Chaeng, you better be careful, she might have plans for you too."

Chaeyoung scoffed, Lisa was being quite childish about this.

"I highly doubt that, besides I'm not some girl who just easily gives in to someone. You're being quite paranoid about all of this."

Lisa inhaled and looked down.

"I just...I just don't want her hurting you."

Chaeyoung's lips tugged up into a smile. Trust Lisa to do this to her.

"No ones hurting anybody, alright? Let's think this through first."

Lisa nodded, looking away towards another direction.

"Also, I think it's nice that you're actually thinking about getting serious with a girl. I mean, Jennie would be really lucky to have you as her girlfriend."

Lisa turned and stared at her hopefully.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I'm your best friend, and I know you pretty well, Lalisa Manoban. Any girl would be lucky to have you, when you're serious about them of course."

Lisa laughed. It was really nice to hear that after all her sulking about Jennie.

"Well Chaeyoungie, I think that any person would be lucky to have you. You're the most awesome human being I know. You're sweet, kind and funny. If anyone would try to hurt you, trust me, I'd be the first in line to beat them up."

Chaeng smiled. "I'm glad you think of me that way."

"Well it's true." Lisa said, looking at her square in the eye. "You're also very pretty."

Chaeng tore her gaze away from Lisa and looked down, she swore that she could feel her face redden.

_Dammit Lisa, stop this. My heart can't take it!_

"Wait, are you blushing?" Lisa teased. Chaeng felt her face get even hotter.

"Aaah Lisaya! Stop it! It's embarassing!"

Lisa laughed. "You are so easy to tease, Chaeyoung-ah!"

She slapped her arm and Lisa laughed even harder. Chaeng just pouted. Lisa then smiled and fixed a lose strand of her hair.

"But I do mean it though."

"About what?"

"That you're pretty, Chaeng."

She decided to change the subject or else her face might be on fire from all of the blushing it was doing at the moment.

"So, what are you planning to do about Jennie?"

Lisa looked serious again.

"Well...actually...I had made a decision."

"What would that be?"

Lisa grinned. "I'm going to confess to her later."

"WHAT?!" Chaeng had said that out too loudly that people were looking at her. She smiled at them sheepishly, embarassed by her reaction.

"I mean, are you sure? Isn't it moving too fast?" she whispered.

"I can't let Jisoo take advantage of her. Besides, I think it's about time."

"You don't know if Jisoo is doing this. Also, what would you do if she rejects you?"

"Then she rejects me. But I am not going to give up on her that easily."

Chaeng was silent, she could feel Lisa's resolve. Well, it was her fault for suggesting it to her in the first place.

_I should be happy for her, but why can't I be? What if Jennie does accept her confession?_

She didn't want to think about that. All she could do was support her best friend, even if it kills her inside.

"Well, I can see that you have made up your mind. I wish you all the luck in the world."

Lisa smiled at her brightly "Thanks for always being there for me, Chaeng. I'm so lucky to have you."

"Yeah, well, who else is going to accept your dumb ass."

Lisa laughed again "Yeah, only you, Chaeng. Only you."

*************************************

Jennie had study hall today together with Chaeyoung. She had noticed that her friend looked quite listless ever since lunch period was over.

It seemed that Lisa, being dense as usual, didn't notice her best friend's change of mood.

Jennie was not used to Chaeng being all pouty and serious, so she decided to intervene.

"Hey Chaeng, you okay?" Jennie asked.

Chaeng looked at her and smiled "Yeah, I'm fine. There's just...a lot on my mind that's all."

"Want to share to me about what happened?"

"Nah, it's fine, really Jen. Thanks for checking up on me though."

Jennie shrugged, and tried to get back to her studying, but was still bothered by Chaeyoung's mood. She inhaled deeply and asked her the first thing that came into her mind.

"It's about Lisa, isn't it?"

Chaeng's head snapped up, her eyes wide.

_Gotcha._

"W-what? What makes you say that?"

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Come on Chaeng, I see the way you look at Lisa. It isn't exactly a very best friend type of stare."

Chaeng blushed "Oh my God, am I that obvious?!"

"Well, to me. To the people that know you anway. Except for the dense best friend you're harboring feelings for."

Chaeng covered her face with embarrassment "Gosh, I didn't know."

"It's alright. We really can't control who we fall for."

Her thoughts then went back to Irene and Seulgi.

Chaeng sighed.

"What did Lisa do now? Or, no, to be more accurate, what did Lisa fail to do?"

"Nothing really."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. We've been friends for quite sometime now Rosie, you can trust me."

Jennie could sense her friend's hesitation. She was battling with herself whether to tell Jennie or not. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at her.

"Well, there's this girl that Lisa really likes, and it seems she wants to get serious with her. Although, I want to be happy for her, I really can't be because it hurts too much. But I am trying."

Jennie nodded.

"Now, Lisa told she will be confessing to this girl soon. I don't want her to be hurt, but at the same time, I don't want the girl to acknowledge her feelings either. It sounds really selfish of me, but I can't help it."

Jennie smiled, "It's good to know that Lisa is actually considering to be serious about a girl for once. But you know, I guess the reason why she hasn't looked at you as more than a friend is because you haven't told her how you felt yet."

Chaeng had a look of panic on her face "Oh no, Jennie. I am definitely not Lisa's type. As much as I want to tell her, I am more scared of losing our friendship."

Jennie scoffed, "If Lisa is truly your best friend, she would understand. Besides, you would never know what will happen afterwards. How would you even know if you're Lisa's type or not without confirming with her."

"But if she rejects me, it will hurt like hell, and things will get awkward after."

"That is a possibility, but love is about taking risks. I say, confess to Lisa before she tells the girl about how she feels."

"What? Just...just tell her like that?"

"Yes, before she gets a chance to do what she is planning. Trust me on this."

Jennie saw Chaeng think hard about it.

"Look, I know you're scared, and although Lisa is like, the densest person on the planet, I'm pretty sure she won't ruin your friendship just because of that. She adores you too much. Besides, you owe it to yourself. If she rejects you, then, move on. I am sure there are a lot of people who would want to be in Lisa's shoes right now."

Chaeyoung smiled, then inhaled deeply.

"Alright Jen...I'll...I'll go ahead and tell her how I feel before she confesses!"

"Atta girl!" Jen cheered.

"Thank you so much for listening to me."

Jennie smiled "Anytime."

Little did Jennie know that somebody had been listening to their conversation behind them.


	10. These Are My Confessions

Jisoo had been listening intently to Jennie and Chaeyoung's conversation. They did not notice her presence at the back since she was busy pretending to be reading something.

 _Shit. Chaeng's going to confess to Lisa!_ Jisoo groaned. _Oh my God, what if Lisa realizes that she likes her after all?_ Jisoo thought, drumming her fingers on her desk.

_This is not good, not good at all. I have to do something!_

Jisoo was deep in thought until the bell rang. She decided to skip the next class, she needed some time to think.

She decided to stay at the school's bleachers since no one really went there during class hours.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had the same idea. She saw two of her friends, Moonbyul and Sooyoung, heading towards there as well.

Moonbyul's eyes lit up when she saw her and ran towards her, Sooyoung trailing along.

"Jisoo! Dude, it's been awhile!" Moonbyul exclaimed, hugging her. Sooyoung followed as well, all three of them grinning at each other.

"It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Jisoo told them, while they walked towards the stands.

"Yeah, it's because you and Seulgi are too busy trying not to hang out with us." Sooyoung said, rolling her eyes.

"You know how it is guys."

Moonbyul and Sooyoung looked at her, they knew what was up. There was really nothing much they could do about it.

"Where's Momo anyway?" Jisoo asked.

"Oh, she wanted to come with, but her Physics teacher knew her mom so she couldn't skip it." Moonbyul answered, shrugging.

"How about Seulgi? Where is she?" Sooyoung asked as well.

"She's too busy being whipped by Irene."

"And here I was thinking that you guys discovered that you liked each other and started dating. I was rooting for JiSeul to happen too."

Jisoo scrunched up her face.

Sooyoung and Moonbyul both laughed, clearly amused at her expression.

"I didn't know your secret kink was to have me and Seul get it on."

They laughed even harder. Jisoo shook her head and grinned as she sat down. She missed these crackheads, that's for sure.

"Hey Sooya, does blondie know you're whipped for her yet?" Moonbyul curiously asked.

Jisoo pouted and furrowed her eyebrows.

"I...haven't made a move on her."

Moonbyul and Sooyoung looked at each other.

"Why not?"

"I dunno, maybe because she likes someone else and is about to confess to her later?"

"So?! The fuck Sooya, what is this weak-ass shit I am hearing from your mouth?!" Moonbyul said, punching her on the arm.

"Hey, I'm not weak!"

"Says the one who's crying because her crush likes somebody else."

"Because her crush is her best friend, and although the bitch is dense, she might like her back!" Jisoo countered.

Sooyoung laughed.

"So now you're happy with my misery?"

"No stupid, it's because the answer is just simple."

Jisoo looked at her with a puzzled expression. "That's what they always say about Math."

Sooyoung rolled her eyes.

"Just tell her first. Like: surprise motherfucker! I like you! Wanna make out?! Problem solved."

"Well, Soo does have a point." Moonbyul agreed.

"She would most certainly reject me."

"So? At least she KNOWS. So when she's about to confess, she'll have you at the back of her mind. Plus, you don't know if she'll do that." Sooyoung told her.

"Need I remind you she likes somebody else?"

"It's still not a hundred percent guarantee that she will reject you. The key word here Sooya is _try_ before she confesses to Manoban. Also, we don't even know how she'll react to your crush confessing her feelings to her."

"Wait...how'd you know it was her?"

Sooyoung sighed, "You mentioned best friend. Who else is Manoban's best friend?"

"Okay. But..."

"No buts. Just do it! If she doesn't like you, the world isn't going to end and there's plenty of fish in the sea."

"Plus there's a difference if she knows you like her, less chance of her friendzoning you. You can also prove to her how actually awesome you are."

Jisoo contemplated this. They did have a point. So she got up, puffed up her chest and nodded.

"My mama didn't raise no weak-ass shit! I will go ahead and confess to Park Chaeyoung!"

"That's the spirit!" Sooyoung cheered!

"Thank God! We're gonna go watch you crash and burn!" Moonbyul said with a wicked grin.

"What did you say?" Jisoo glared.

"I mean...we're going to watch you get your happy ending. Woohoo!"

"That's more like it."

**************************************

"Okay, you guys can follow but you have to make sure you two are far enough so she wouldn't notice your presence or else she might think I'm planning to kidnap her or something." Jisoo told her friends, who both had mischevious glints in their eyes.

"Don't worry Sooya, we'll just be here, supporting you from afar like the amazing friends that we are." Moonbyul said solemnly.

"Yes, we got your back!" Sooyoung chimed in.

"Uh-huh. Just make sure you two idiots aren't seen."

Both of them saluted and nodded.

All 3 of them walked around campus trying to find Chaeyoung.

Jisoo saw Jennie get into the theater arts building. She was about to head in another direction when she saw Lisa walking towards the building with Chaeyoung following closely behind. It was clear that Lisa had no idea that her best friend was there.

"Shit, there she is!" Jisoo said, while walking towards her direction.

"This looks like an interesting development." Moonbyul whispered to Sooyoung excitedly.

"I just wish I had popcorn." Sooyoung replied and they both snickered. Jisoo chose to ignore them.

Both Lisa and Chaeng had already entered the building. Jisoo hurridly went in and started looking for her. She was getting frantic. She needed to confess to her first!

Sooyoung tapped Jisoo on the back.

"I saw a blondie go in that door. Hurry!"

Jisoo immediately opened the door and saw Lisa up ahead on the stage with some other people.

_Oh no, Chaeng where are you?_

Then at the corner of her eye, she saw her.

_Dammit! I don't care if I make a fool out of myself. It's now or never!_

Jisoo quickly grabbed her hand, knelt down and closed her eyes to fight her growing panic and anxiety.

"I'm sorry if I am shocking you like this but I had no choice! I know it must come as a surprise to you, especially from someone like me. But I wanted you to know that from the very first time I laid my eyes on you, my heart has not stopped beating rapidly whenever I am in your presence. People may not know you, but I see how you can brighten someone else's day with a simple smile. Everything you do, you do with purpose and conviction, and you always do the best that you can to stay strong for yourself. When you look at me, my knees go weak, my mouth refuses to say words I long to say to you. You're one of the most beautiful girls I know, inside and out, and that's what makes you special to me. I am telling you this because I wanted you to know that despite what you may think about yourself, someone here likes you, and would do absolutely anything for you, even if you may not feel the same way."

The room became completely silent.

Jisoo could feel Chaeng's hand trembling in hers and she squeezed it to comfort her, it felt soft and warm, plus it fit her hand perfectly. She always thought that Chaeng's hands would be bit bigger than hers, but she was wrong. It must be a sign.

She was still nervous, it felt like hours had gone by and yet she had not said anything. Finally she spoke.

"Jisoo...I..."

_Wait. Why does she sound different? Yet, that voice is still quite familiar._

Jisoo's nervousness rose up, Chaeng was just probably as scared as her, that's most likely why she sounded weird.

Jisoo slowly opened her eyes, a feeling of dread now overcoming her nervousness.

She finally saw her face and her eyes grew wide.

Jennie Kim was in front of her, wearing a blonde wig.

And it was her hand that Jisoo was holding on to.

_Shit._


	11. Can't Take It Back

_Crap crap crap!_

Jisoo thought to herself as she looked at Jennie. She was completely shocked and taken aback by her confession and was blushing furiously.

She looked around and saw Lisa, her mouth open, sporting an incredulous expression.

Other people were just as surprised.

Sooyoung and Moonbyul were nearby, holding in their giggles and capturing the whole thing on their cellphones. She was going to kill them later.

Then behind Jennie was Chaeng, looking at them in disbelief and awe.

_Oh my God, I cannot take it back. This is too embarrassing! What the hell did I do in my past life to deserve this?_

Jisoo didn't want to embarrass Jennie as well in front of other people.

What was she going to do? This was a complete disaster. She wanted the earth to come up and swallow her whole.

Or a dragon to swoop in and burn everything down.

Anything, to save her from this predicament.

Suddenly, someone had embraced her and kissed her on the cheek. She looked at who it was and saw that it was her ex-girlfriend, Soojoo.

"Jisoo! I missed you sooo much!" she said in the best aegyo voice she could muster and hugged her again, tighter this time and squishing her cheeks with hers.

Jennie had now let go of her hand.

Soojoo then cupped her hands on Jisoo's face.

"You haven't called me in awhile. You must make it up to me! Don't leave a girl hanging!"

Jisoo was still in a state of shock that what was happening had barely registered with her.

Jennie was now glaring at the both of them, and Jisoo swore that she could see smoke coming out of her ears.

Jennie went near her and slapped her hard on the face.

"Must be incredible to get all the girls you want huh?" she said, her eyes burning into hers like lava.

Then, Jennie Kim walked away with Chaeng following behind.

Lisa had glared at her. If looks could kill, she'd be dead by now.

Soojoo then held her hand.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

**************************************

Jisoo was still silent when Soojoo parked her car into her garage.

"Are you coming in or would you rather sit there like a statue the whole time?"

Jisoo looked at her and sighed, then opened the door to get out of the car.

They then went inside. Jisoo noticed not much had really changed in the Hong household, especially the feeling of warmth and home.

"Make yourself comfortable. Mom and Dad are on vacation so no one will bother us today."

Soojoo's parents loved Jisoo and her company, and opened their doors to her despite her reputation, something she was still thankful for with them.

"I'll go make us some food. You can watch Netflix on TV or whatever you wanna do while I cook."

Jisoo nodded as Soojoo made her way into the kitchen.

As Soojoo got busy, Jisoo was replaying the incident in her head. How could she not recognize that it wasn't Chaeng all along?

"God! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Jisoo said out loud as she thumped her head with a pillow.

Now, Chaeng was going to think that she liked Jennie and also think that she was a person who couldn't take commitment seriously.

That was just great.

Jennie was going to hate her too, it shouldn't bother her, but it did.

How incredibly lucky of her.

Soojoo was finally done cooking and Jisoo's stomach rumbled as she smelled the food.

Soojoo smiled at her as she put out a plate for her and Jisoo saw that she had cooked a lot of fried chicken.

Jisoo smiled back. Trust Soojoo to put her back in a good mood.

She then started eating, with Soojoo following after.

This was one of the things she missed being with Soojoo: her cooking. She was amazing at it.

Soojoo was observing her as she took a big bite on one of the chicken legs.

"Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?" she asked.

Jisoo shrugged.

"Come on Sooya, I know you enough to confirm from your expression earlier that you had confessed to the wrong person. Plus, I know you have this crush on Chaeyoung. You were basically dumbfounded when you saw Jennie Kim! If I didn't save you back there, you'd probably still be there trying to process everything."

Jisoo sighed.

"Yeah, that was such an amazing moment that only me, Kim Jisoo, could pull off. Confessing to the wrong person. I mean, who does that?"

"Well, you're not wrong with that."

Jisoo groaned.

"What am I going to do?"

"Just tell Jennie what really happened when you can talk to her alone. Let her understand that it was just a misunderstanding."

"That should end well. She probably hates me or will hate me afterwards."

"Well, the important thing is making sure that Chaeng knows about how you feel. You can let her know that confession was for her and not for her friend."

"She'll believe that, I'm sure." Jisoo scoffed.

"That's why you have to tell Jennie first so she can back you up."

"I don't know."

"You seem too worried about what Jennie might feel about this. Isn't Chaeng your priority here?"

"I'm not, I just don't want to embarrass the girl further."

Soojoo looked at her and gave her a knowing smile.

"Okay. So what do you want to do about it?"

"Nothing. Maybe turn back time and do things differently."

"Well, if you say so. But still, I would try and make things clear. It's embarrassing yes, but at least they know you were being honest with them, and that can go a long way."

Jisoo knew Soojoo was right.

However, she was not ready to do anything like that yet.

She decided to just let things settle first before heading in again.

"Thanks Soojoo, you are an incredible friend."

"What would you do without me anyway?"

"Out on the streets, trying to make money by playing those traditional drums?"

They both laughed and continued to eat their dinner as they chatted away.


	12. Not Playing Your Game

Hoseok were bickering.

She found it immediately, as it was just lying on top on one of the dressers.

Something caught her eye. She gave a small smile: it was a blonde wig.

People had been telling her she would definitely look good blonde, but she really didn't want to change her hair color.

This was a compromise that she was willing to take. There was no harm in trying to see if people's suggestions were in fact, true.

She immediately got it and wore it on her head, adjusting it as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Finally satisfied, she got the script and went back towards where the stage was.

As she opened the door, she noticed that Lisa was talking to Namjoon on the stage. She turned left and saw Chaeyoung ahead. What were they both doing here?

She was about to call Chaeyoung when suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and spun her around!

She was shocked to see that it was Kim Jisoo! She knelt and closed her eyes and said one of the most unbelievable things she had ever heard in her life!

"I'm sorry if I am shocking you like this but I had no choice! I know it must come as a surprise to you, especially from someone like me. But I wanted you to know that from the very first time I laid my eyes on you, my heart has not stopped beating rapidly whenever I am in your presence."

_Wait, what? Was she hearing this right?_

Jennie's heart started to beat rapidly.

"People may not know you, but I see how you can brighten someone else's day with a simple smile."

_Wait a minute! Stop! Was this a confession???_

Jennie's face started to heat up. She couldn't see Jisoo's eyes, but she could feel the sincerity of what she had said. Her hand was cold, but still held on to her as if she would disappear if she let her go.

"Everything you do, you do with purpose and conviction, and you always do the best that you can to stay strong for yourself."

Her jaw dropped at that statement, she didn't know what to say. She could feel her cheeks turn redder and redder, her heart rate speeding up as Jisoo told her more.

"When you look at me, my knees go weak, my mouth refuses to say words I long to say to you. You're one of the most beautiful girls I know, inside and out, and that's what makes you special to me."

_Oh my God._

Now butterflies had started to invade her stomach.

_What are you doing to me, Kim Jisoo?_

"I am telling you this because I wanted you to know that despite what you may think about yourself, someone here likes you, and would do absolutely anything for you, even if you may not feel the same way."

She was rendered speechless. Her face was most likely as red as a tomato, her heart rate had not lessened it's pace, and the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering furiously.

She had never ever been confessed to this way. All Jisoo's emotions were raw and on the table that it was hard to doubt her sincerity.

Her hand started to tremble, she didn't know what to say or feel. She certainly could not reject the girl. She felt her hand being squeezed by her as a sign of comfort and this made her feel warm inside.

She sighed, "Jisoo...I.."

Jisoo then slowly opened her eyes and looked at her. She looked shocked and seemed to be at a loss for words as well.

_She must have been pretty nervous doing this._

She was about to say something when Soojoo, one of the actresses in the theater club, had suddenly hugged and kissed Jisoo's cheeks.

She let go of Jisoo's hand immediately. Her anger started to build up as she looked at Soojoo being all over her like a possessive girlfriend and even used aegyo! She wanted to rip Soojoo out of there but doing so felt stupid. Yet the more Soojoo became clingy with her, the more furious she felt.

Jisoo, on the other hand had no reaction. After all that? Nothing?

What kind of game was she playing at, the bastard!

Soojoo was even implying they saw each other once in awhile!

Jennie felt that Jisoo had played with her emotions. She couldn't get the confession out of her head and yet here she was, easily going around with other girls.

She felt stupid falling for that, even if it was just for a few minutes.

She wasn't going to play her game. No. Not her.

She felt so angry that she went towards Jisoo and slapped her.

"Must be incredible to get all the girls you want, huh?" she told her with as much venom as she could muster, glaring at her with utmost contempt.

Then she walked out. She didn't hear Chaeyoung call out her name.

_Fuck you, Kim Jisoo!_


	13. Hidden Feelings

Jennie walked swiftly outside. She had no idea why she would be this upset over something as small as that.

She tried to regain her compsure, surely she would not let this get to her.

Perhaps she was just embarrassed at the fact that someone confessed to her and made it feel like it was just some sort of game in front of everybody.

Yes, that was it. That's why she was mad.

She suddenly felt a hand on her wrist and turned to see who it was.

It was Chaeyoung, whose eyes were filled with worry.

"Jen! I kept calling you back there but you didn't seem to hear me. Are you okay?"

Jennie looked at her and tried to give her the best smile she could muster.

"Yeah Chaeng, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You just basically slapped Kim Jisoo and then stormed off."

_Shit._

Yes, she had slapped her, she just felt so mad during that time that she just took out all of her anger on Jisoo that way. Regardless of what the girl did, she should not have gotten physical, or even showed that it got to her.

"It was nothing, I was kinda pissed about what she did in front of me and other people."

Chaeyoung sighed and looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you, especially in front of other people."

"I should have gone ahead and punched her."

Both Jennie and Chaeyoung looked towards the one who had spoken up. It was Lisa.

"I should really have, she had no right to do that to you!" Lisa stated angrily, eyes blazing.

"We don't really know what Jisoo was thinking, it could have been a misunderstanding." Chaeng said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Why do you always defend her, Chaeng? That was really uncalled for. I told you, her reputation precedes her."

Jennie looked at the both of them, sensing a fight brewing.

"Look guys, it's fine. I'm fine, I just got...carried away. Anyway, I'll just head home for now."

Lisa stopped her and held her hand.

"Jennie, you can stay here if you need some company, or if you want I can go with you."

"There's no need to Lisa. Like I said, I'm fine."

"Jen, I want you to know that..."

Jennie looked at Lisa who swallowed nervously.

"I want you to know that..."

"That no matter what happens, we will always be here as your friends. Don't hesitate to call on us, okay?" Chaeyoung interjected, smiling at Jennie and held on to Lisa's other hand.

"Thank you guys, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry about earlier, for now, I just need to be alone. I hope you understand."

"Of course." Chaeng said. Lisa remaimed silent.

Jennie then went on ahead and sent out a quick text to Namjoon and Hoseok, apologizing to them about what happened and promising to be there again in their next rehearsal.

For now, she just needed some time to think and process everything.

**************************************

Chaeyoung watched as Jennie walked away. She felt Lisa let go of her hand and stare at her accussingly.

"Why did you stop me, Chaeyoungie? You knew I was going to confess! That was my moment!"

Chaeng inhaled deeply. As much as she did not want Lisa to confess to Jennie, she was not the type to stop it for her own selfish reasons.

She just knew Jennie was not in the right frame of mind, and two confessions in a day would definitely be too much for her, especially with what happened to the first one.

"Lisa, can you at least get your head out of the gutter for once and think about it? Jennie was obviously not okay. You confessing to her now would end up in disaster."

"What if she just needed to hear someone be sincere about her and show it as well?"

"Jisoo's words sounded sincere enough and look what happened."

"But you never know..."

"Lisa. Seriously. Can you please just let this go for now? For Jennie?"

"But..."

"Lisa. Please. Even just for me?"

Lisa sighed and looked at her. She finally nodded and put her hands in her pockets, pouting as she did.

Chaeng knew how stubborn her best friend could be, especially if it was about something she really wanted.

But there were times she did listen to her, and thankfully this was one of them.

She cupped Lisa's face and smiled at her.

"Hey, everything will be fine. Jennie's a strong person, I am sure she'll be over it soon. You need to relax. Your time with her will come, okay?"

"Okay." Lisa mumbled.

"How about I treat you to some hot chocolate at the diner and some burgers?"

Lisa's face lit up, Chaeyoung knew how much her best friend loved chocolate.

"Oh my God, yes! Let's go!"

Lisa then grabbed her hand and led her along excitedly. Chaeyoung chuckled.

"Hey Chaeyoungie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about earlier okay?"

Chaeng smiled warmly at her.

"It's fine you weirdo."

Lisa grinned at her.

"Maybe I should just confess to you instead."

"What?!"

Lisa laughed.

"Nothing! I was just kidding! You're so easy to tease."

Chaeyoung slapped Lisa's shoulder several times, causing to make the girl laugh even harder.

"Aish Lisaaa! Don't you ever joke about that again, it's not funny!"

_Or good for my heart, you idiot!_

"Alright, alright! Chill! I won't okay? Look, you're starting to look like a chipmunk." she teased.

Chaeng pouted, "Yaaah! I hate you!"

"As if you can!"

While looking into Lisa's happy eyes, she knew that was true.

She could never really hate Lalisa Manoban.


	14. Fate Has a Bad Sense of Humor

It has been over a month now and Jisoo has been avoiding Jennie.

Not that she really needed to, considering they weren't really friends in the first place, but it made life a bit more easier for her.

Though that also meant that Chaeyoung was also avoiding her too.

Of course her friends were quick to share the video of her confession to each other and they had teased her non-stop about it.

She had punished Moonbyul and Sooyoung for it, but it did not hinder them from bringing it up every now and then.

Seulgi was especially a pain.

Seulgi also reminded her of something in the past she had long forgotten.

**Flashback:**

_"Omo, that was such an epic fail! I can't with you right now!" Seulgi said, laughing hysterically, tears now running down her eyes._

_"I know right! Good job you guys on capturing it on cam!" Momo said, laughing along._

_"I ought to kill you all one by one. It was totally embarrassing for me!" Jisoo huffed, completely irritated by her friends. All of them were laughing right now._

_"I just can't, it's just so totally you! I can't...breathe...hahahahahahahahaha!" Seulgi continued, spanking her leg._

_"You should have seen Jennie's face when Soojoo was all over you. She was ready to kill somebody!" Moonbyul added._

_"That slap was the icing on the cake along with Jisoo's bewildered expression." Sooyoung said, copying Jisoo's face which added more hysterical laughter from everyone._

_"Yes, my life's pain is so fun. Oh joy." Jisoo deadpanned. Seulgi just smiled at her._

_"Chill Sooya, I'm sure it will be fine. Anyway it seems it might work to your benefit as well."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Don't tell me you've forgotten?"_

_"Forgotten what?"_

_Seulgi rolled her eyes, "Seriously? You forgot?"_

_Jisoo scrunched up her face. She had no idea what she was talking about._

_"How would I know if I have forgotten it if I don't know what you mean?"_

" _Remember the first day of school during our Sophomore year and you were able to see the new Freshmen? Remember who first caught your attention?"_

" _I'm not sure?"_

_"Don't play dumb with me Jisoo. You were talking about her non-stop for about 2 weeks."_

_"Errr...Chaeyoung?"_

_"God Jisoo. Jennie Kim. You had a massive crush on her for a bit. You couldn't stop talking about her. Like 'She's so hot Seul!' 'I wanna pinch her cheeks Seul!' 'Her eyes are really pretty Seul!' It was fucking annoying."_

_"I did?"_

_"Yeah! Then suddenly, without warning, you switched to Chaeyoung and completely forgot about her. I don't even know why. But you never talked about Chaeyoung that way."_

_Jisoo thought about it and then, it her like a freight train. Seulgi was right, that did happen, and it made Jisoo groan internally._

_"Oh yeah, I remember that. You were gushing about her like a smitten teenager; which you were." Momo smirked._

_"See? So maybe this might be a good thing."_

_"How can it be a good thing? It's Chaeyoung that I like now, not her."_

_"Okay."_

_"Dude, it's not like that."_

_"Maybe fate had something to do with it?"_

_"Then if that's the case, fate has a bad sense of humor."_

**End of Flashback**

Jisoo sighed at that, she was not particularly bothered by that fact, although she caught Jennie's glare from time to time.

Right now her chances with Chaeyoung became slim to none, although her friends were shipping her with Jennie for some reason, calling them "JenSoo". They had made bets on who would end up together: ChaeSoo or JenSoo.

Her friends were crazy, she was glad that she was the only normal one among them.

Their teacher, Mr. Bang, had been talking about the upcoming sports festival for their school. They were going to compete against the different sections of their year.

He was asking who would join in the 100 meter dash for both girls and boys and the four legged race. Apparently, everyone would have to join the Kibasen game or Japanese Cavalry battle. Lots would be drawn on which people would end up together as a team.

_Just great, and to think I didn't want to participate at all._

Jennie, Lisa and Chaeyoung all volunteered to be part of the 100 meter dash. There would be two rounds of it, so 8 girls and 8 boys had to join in total.

There were some commotion about the 4-legged race, and after sometime, they had finally decided on who would be in the team.

After all that arguing, they finally started on drawing lots for the Kibasen.

Jisoo was silently praying that she would end up together with Chaeyoung and not Jennie or even Lisa. That girl had also been sending her some death stares.

She wasn't really scared but she didn't want to cause any trouble because of what happened.

The first pick was Lisa, Yeri, Jungkook and Bambam.

Jisoo exhaled a little. One down, two to go.

The next pick was Chaeyoung, Chanyeol, Jackson and Wendy.

Jisoo frowned sadly. Her hopes were once again dashed.

After some time, her name was finally being called out by Mr. Bang.

"Okay, the next team will consist of Kim Jisoo..."

_Not Jennie. Not Jennie._

"...Kim Taehyung..."

_Not Jennie._

"...Im Nayeon and..."

_Please not Jennie._

"...Kim Jennie."

Jisoo groaned and slumped her head on the table. The sports festival was going to be fun.

She looked at Jennie, who looked back at her with an icy glare.

_Great. I have to contend with Miss grumpy kitty all the way._

Jisoo had no choice, she had to do it as she needed the extra credit.

"Okay! Now that all the teams have been called, please make sure to remember them so that there will be no confusion during the sports fest." Mr. Bang told them.

The people were pretty excited, the sports festival was always an event for the students to let loose and enjoy themselves. Usually, a live band was asked to perform for them at the end of the fest.

Despite all this, Jisoo felt that this year's fest would be far from fun or relaxing.


	15. We Are Not a Team

It was a sunny day and Lisa was looking forward to all the fun they would likely have later.

She had a big smile on her face as she hummed all the way to school while listening to the music emanating from her earphones.

She finally got to her room and saw Chaeyoung, who was busy talking with Jennie.

She never got to confess her feelings to her, but Lisa decided that there was always a right time and place for that.

Besides, it gave her time to get Jennie to soften up to her.

She removed her earphones then backhugged her best friend.

"Chaeyoungie! Good morning!"

Chaeyoung seemed taken aback by her action but still smiled warmly at her.

"Good morning, Lalisa."

Jennie then looked at her.

"Good morning, Jennie-ya!"

"Good morning. You seem extra chipper today."

Lisa removed herself from Chaeng and puffed up her chest.

"Because today is the day where victory is at the tip of my fingertips!"

Chaeng laughed at her.

"With the exception of football, aren't you quite unlucky with most things?"

"This is not the day that I, Lalisa Manoban, will succumb to my unlucky streak! I can feel it in my bones."

"I doubt it, but they all did say that confidence is the key." Jennie told her, chuckling.

Lisa saw that both her and Chaeyoung were already in their PE uniforms.

"Why do you both still look so good in those uniforms? I swear to God that you make it look effortless."

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes.

"Instead of flirting, why don't you go and change? The fest is about to start!"

"Don't worry, I'm like the Flash, I can change in less than 5 minutes!"

"Uh-huh. Just go change so you won't get an earful from one of our teachers."

Lisa grinned at Chaeng.

"Okay, okay, sheesh. I'll be off to change."

She waved them goodbye and headed for the restroom.

**************************************

All the students from the Junior class were already at the grounds.

The first event they had to do was the four-legged race.

Each section had a set of points. With every victory they achived, the points would be accumulated, and the winning section would win an all expense paid trip to the beach.

On the first event, the participants for this were Yeri, Jinyoung, Sana and Junhoe. They were going to represent their class, 3B.

Lisa, Chaeyoung and Jennie were sitting together. They were going to cheer for their classmates while waiting for the next event.

Jennie was happily eating her milk-flavored ice cream while Chaeyoung was munching on some chips. Lisa was shouting some encouragement for their classmates while waiting for it to start.

Finally the whistle blew, and off they went!

All three girls were cheering loudly, with Chaeng jumping up and down like a rabbit, screaming her head off and making some of the chips she had fly everywhere.

Finally it ended, and sadly, 3B had only made it to third place, with Yeri trying to convince the ref that the first and second placers had cheated.

"Trust Yeri to try and argue over something like this." Jennie chuckled.

"She is so extra sometimes." Chaeyoung agreed.

"Alright! It's time for the Kibasen. Let's go, go go!" Lisa shouted as she ran towards the table where she's supposed to meet her teammates.

Chaeyoung and Jennie looked at each other and laughed.

"Your girlfriend always has way too much energy." Jennie teased.

"Oh, I know. She can be a lot to handle at times."

Then Chaeng formed her mouth into an O when she realized her mistake, with Jennie grinning at her mischeviously.

"I mean...yeah, she's not my girlfriend of course! But yeah, she is...uhm...quite energetic." she said, blushing furiously.

Jennie laughed, "It's fine Chaeng! Let's go before she explodes with too much happiness or something."

They got together for their teams, and the teachers provided each section with different colored bandannas. 3B was assigned the pink ones.

Miss Lee then proceeded to explain the rules to them.

"Alright everyone, listen up! We will provide you guys time to discuss who will be the three players on the ground and who will be your rider. All team members must wear the bandanna to indicate which section you belong to. The players at the bottom are not allowed to use their hands against your opponents. You can use your momentum to knock down the competition to separate them. If one member of a team gets separated, you will be eliminated. If your rider's bandanna is taken off by another team, you will be eliminated. Extra points will be provided to the people with bandannas, and will be added to your section's total score, even if you were eliminated. The last team standing will garner extra points to your section and will also be given free tickets to an all you can eat buffet! Also, please be careful, try to avoid injuring each other. But just in case, we do have some student volunteers who knows how to do first aid if things go way overboard. If you intentionally harm someone, you will be punished. Is everything clear?"

Everyone said yes in unison.

Chaeyoung's eyes were sparkling at the prospect of getting an all you can eat ticket.

"I must win this!"

Lisa laughed at her.

"When it comes to food, you get really fired up!"

"Because it's food Lisa! You cannot live without food! I'll definitely beat you on this!" she said, her cheeks puffing up.

"Whoa! Calm down there, chipmunk. All of us in 3B are a team after all."

Chaeyoung looked at her seriously, "Lisa, we are not a team! This is a competition!"

Lisa chuckled and just shook her head at her best friend.

"Alright, if you wanna compete, let's place a bet then. The one who gets elimated first will treat the other to any kind of food they want!"

"Okay, you got it! And the loser of this contest will also carry the winner on their back all the way to the place they wanna eat."

"Okay, I accept that."

Both of them looked at each other, they were quite fired up and ready to take on the challenge.

They did a fist bump to seal the deal.

"Get ready to taste the bitterness of being the loser, Park!"

"You wish with your unlucky ass, Manoban!"

"Okay guys, I understand you're excited, but we need to discuss about our strategy and stuff." Wendy said while tugging at Chaeyoung.

"Oh, yeah, let's go team!"

Lisa just smiled at her best friend, thinking how cute it was that she got riled up about a buffet.

But she wasn't going to make it easy for her though.


	16. Lucky or Unlucky?

Lisa put on her pink bandanna, she was all fired up and ready to go.

Their team had already discussed their strategy for the Kibasen, deciding on having Yeri as their rider since she was the smallest.

Another reason for their decision was because Yeri was quite feisty and always had something up her sleeve.

Lisa would be taking the front, while Bambam and Jungkook were assigned to protect the back.

They decided to do this as people were usually focused on downing the ones who were at the back, and stronger members would be an advantage to keep their team intact.

All four of them got ready, and both Jungkook and Bambam carried Yeri up. She was sitting on both their shoulders while her legs stretched out all the way to Lisa's shoulders.

Lisa then looked around for Jennie until she saw her. She was designated as their team's rider, while both Nayeon and Taehyung were assigned to the back and Jisoo to the front.

Lisa wondered how Jennie was holding up. She had complained almost non-stop about the fact that Jisoo was going to be her teammate and had even attempted to bribe their teacher to have her sent to a different team.

But Mr. Bang was having none of it, so Jennie didn't have a choice but to go along with what she had.

Lisa was still kinda miffed with what Jisoo did, especially with the fact that she had taken away her chance to confess first. But she decided that perhaps maybe there was a reason for everything.

She looked at Jennie's team again and furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed that Jisoo was wearing a black beret along with her bandanna.

She decided it was harmless and turned around to check Chaeyoung's team.

She noticed that Chanyeol seemed to be a little bit too close for comfort with Chaeng for her liking. Chaeng meanwhile, seemed to be laughing with whatever joke he had told her.

Lisa narrowed her eyes as Chanyeol continued to flirt with Chaeng. She didn't like it one bit, and Lisa always thought he was a douchebag.

They pulled up Chaeng and Lisa realized she was going to be their rider. Wendy was at the front while the other two were at the back.

Chanyeol tickled Chaeng who laughed and playfully smacked his hand away.

Lisa frowned at the scene. He was being too close for his own good. She oughtta smack that hand for being too familiar with her best friend.

Yeri tapped her head, "Hey Lisa, did you hear what I just said?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. Stop ogling at your girlfriend and focus on the game."

"What? She's not-"

"Yeah, yeah, she's not your girlfriend. Let's just focus, okay?"

"Uuh...sure."

"But I do say Chaeng is pretty cute." Jungkook said, looking at her and smiling.

"Yeah Lisa, can we get her number?"

"No, she's off limits."

"Does she have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?"

"No."

"Then why-"

"She's just off limits, okay?" she said with a huff.

Jungkook and Bambam looked at each other with a knowing smile.

"Alright, alright Manoban. Backing off here." Bambam said good naturedly.

A feedback from where the stage was located was heard, and they all turned towards the sound. They saw Miss Lee holding a microphone.

"Okay girls and boys, are you ready?!"

"Yeah!!!" everyone shouted at the same time.

"At the sound of the whistle, the game will begin. Once again, please be careful not to injure each other."

Lisa braced herself.

"On the count of three, we will begin! One...two...three!"

The whistle blew and off they went.

It was chaos!

Their team was careful not to bump into people at random. Since Lisa was tall, she was able to see her surroundings quite well.

Yeri was also directing them to where and which teams they should get first.

As the game progressed, Lisa and her team were able to snatch 3 bandannas. Yeri was too good at this and was quite observant.

"Let's try to avoid some teams for now." she noted.

However, they were not prepared when a team had tried to separate them.

They almost did but thankfully, all 3 were quick enough to make sure their team stayed stable.

"Jesus Christ, watch out! You could hurt somebody!" Yeri yelled out.

"Were here to bring you down, Yerim!" Wendy told her.

"Bite me, Wendy!"

Lisa saw Chaeng smirking at her.

"This is the showdown we have been waiting for Lalisa!"

Chaeng fighting about food certainly turned on her competitive spirit.

"You can try, Chaeyoung-ah, but you'll never win!"

"Don't show mercy on your girlfriend Lisaya!" Yeri shouted.

"She's not my girlfriend!" both of them said in unison.

They looked at each other and turned away quickly. Lisa felt her cheeks heat up.

"I don't care. Anyway team, chaaaarge!" Yeri yelled while pointing to the other team's direction.

Both teams clashed as Chaeng tried to take away Yeri's bandanna. Yeri was having some difficulty as Chaeng was taller and had a better reach than her.

Lisa observed this, and switched quickly to the side. She eyed Chanyeol and saw her opportunity to try and tackle him.

She bumped into him hard and he almost fell, but was quickly saved by Jackson.

She smirked.

They continued to clash and Chaeng's team had almost separated several times.

Lisa saw the look of worry on her best friend's face. She realized that she was really that invested in this game.

She smiled at herself. Trust her best friend to do everything in her power when it comes to food.

She moved once again and this time, Wendy had tried to tackle her.

It really wasn't that strong of a bump, but Lisa was pushed back and had promptly fell on her butt.

Their team collapsed and Yeri was thankfully caught by Jungkook and Bambam.

Chaeyoung screamed in delight and laughed as she saw Lisa's defeated face.

"Omo, Lisaya are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My pride though might need a bit of a nursing." she said grinning sheepishly at her.

Chaeng smiled in victory.

"Well then, this means that I win the bet!"

"Unfortunately."

Yeri stood up and brushed herself off.

"As usual, your unlucky streak still gets back at us." she said, and walked off the field.

"Good game guys." Jungkook told them.

"Same." Bambam piped in. He pulled Lisa up and he looked at her, then patted her on the back.

"Hope it was worth it." he whispered and winked at her, then he went off together with Jungkook.

Seeing Chaeyoung smiling and laughing happily made her soft.

Yeah, she might be unlucky, but she knew she was the luckiest person in the world to have her as a best friend.

And looking at her, she knew it was worth it every single time to lose on purpose just so she can see her happy.


	17. Accidents

Jennie was in a sour mood when she arrived in school. The reason for her sunny disposition? Kim Jisoo.

She was aghast when their teacher read out her name as the last member of her team in the Kibasen.

She had done everything she could to convince Mr. Bang to have Jisoo switched over to a different team. She begged, she cried, even bribed him, but all she got was a stern reprimand from her teacher.

So she had no choice but to team up with her.

She had complained to her friends about it, but in the end, there was nothing she could really do but to accept her fate.

She sighed as she entered the building and went inside her classroom, meeting up with Chaeng who had already changed into her PE uniform.

"Hey Jennie!"

"Hey Chaeng! Lisa isn't here yet?"

"Nope. She's isn't an early bird anyway, so it's not surprising."

Jennie nodded.

She decided to head to the restroom in order to change her clothes While doing so, she bumped into Irene.

"Jennie!" she called, hugging her best friend, Jennie hugged her back.

"Hey Irene!"

Irene smiled at her, "I was just heading over to your classroom because I wanted to give you something."

"Oh, what is it?"

Irene rummaged her bag and took out something that looked similar to a tube of toothpaste.

"Here, I found some interesting paint you could use for your arts and crafts. It's rainbow-colored so maybe you can make something out of it. Also, here's the beret you lent to me last week. Thanks for that."

Jennie's eyes lit up. She was really into making a lot of DIY stuff, so this was definitely interesting.

"Wow thanks! I could find a use for this later on."

"That's what I was thinking when I saw it." she grinned.

"Hey babe!"

Jennie and Irene looked towards where the voice was coming from. When they saw it was Seulgi, Irene's face noticeably lit up.

She gave a huge smile at Irene and wrapped her arm around her shoulders while the latter smiled dopily at her.

"I have been looking everywhere for you." she said, kissing her lips lightly.

Irene blushed.

"I was just looking for Jennie before I headed back to the classroom."

Seulgi then turned her attention towards her.

"Oh yeah! Uhm, Jennie this is Seulgi, and Seul, this is Jennie, my best friend."

Seulgi nodded her head to acknowledge her presence, "So you're the Jennie Kim I have heard so much about. Nice to finally meet you."

Jennie didn't know what to do, so she decided to give her the best fake smile she could muster.

"Uhmm..nice to meet you too."

"I heard you and Jisoo will be teammates for your year's Kibasen. I'm looking forward to it." she said with a grin.

Jennie rolled her eyes, "I really didn't have much of a choice."

"Well, me and Irene will be rooting for your team, right babe?" she said and winked at her girlfriend. The both of them stared at each other and then started giggling about something. Jennie just raised an eyebrow at them.

"Thanks, I guess? Anyway I have to go change. I really appreciate this Irene." Jennie said as she hugged her goodbye.

"Take care, Jen! I'll see you around!"

"Yes, see ya around, Kim." Seulgi added. Jennie just gave her a polite nod and went on her way.

Jennie finally arrived at the restroom and changed her clothes. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and did some retouches on her make up.

As she rummaged her bag, she found the paint tube that Irene had given to her earlier and it spiked up her curiosity. She wanted to see what the paint would look like.

She got a piece of paper and tried to open the tube. She had a hard time doing so as it seems that the cap was shut tightly.

"Ugh, did you want your customers to not be able to open this thing?" she grumbled as she twisted and pulled on the cap several times.

Her face became redder and redder as her frustration grew. She was having a hard time opening the tube.

Finally, reaching her limit, she just squeezed on the tube really hard until she heard a pop and the cap flew away at the same time as the door to the restroom opened.

Some of the paint flew up and had, to her horror, hit the top of the head of the girl who had just arrived in the restroom.

Her eyes grew wide as she saw who the victim was.

It was Jisoo, who looked at her with an unamused expression.

Her raven hair now had a blob of rainbow paint on top of it.

"Uhhh...I'm sorry?" she said, as she smiled sheepishly at the older girl. She was trying hard to fight off her laughter from getting out. Jisoo looked ridiculous but cute at the same time.

"Is this your plot against me, Kim?" Jisoo asked her as she looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.

"I said sorry! I didn't mean to do it on purpose!" she said with a pout.

Jisoo then tried to wash it away with water, but instead, to her dismay, it spread all over her hair even more, and now she had some of it on her hands too.

"Look, I know I'm a raging lesbian. But this isn't exactly how I wanted to show my pride."

"Stop with that." Jennie told her as she closed the faucet, then checked her bag to grab some acetone which she uses for removing her nail polish.

She grabbed Jisoo's hands and poured some of it to get the paint off of her hands.

"Look, once again, I'm sorry. I can get the paint out of your hands but I can't use this on your hair as it might damage it. Wash your hands afer this."

"So how am I going to show myself outside? I can't go out looking like this?!"

Jennie looked at her once again and smiled, Jisoo was pouting now. It made her want to take a picture of her.

Wait, she can't smile at her, she is not supposed to find her cute.

_Remember Jen, you hate her guts. But I did something stupid. Wait, maybe this is her karma for what happened in the auditorium._

"Wait, I think I got an idea to help you out with that."

She got the beret that Irene returned to her and put it on her head, adjusting it as much as possible so that it fit her.

After several tries, she was finally done and she examined her work. Jisoo was still pouting but damn, she looked so beautiful.

_How the heck is she so gorgeous? Dammit Kim, focus!_

Jisoo raised her eyebrows as she noticed Jennie staring at her.

"See something you like?" she smirked.

"N-no! I was just trying to see if it fit you."

Jisoo shrugged.

"I still look stupid. Why the heck would I be wearing a beret?"

"It's either this or the paint. Pick a struggle."

"I hope this isn't permanent."

"It isn't. I'll tell you how to remove it after the fest."

Jisoo sighed for the nth time, "Fine."

"Give me your phone."

"Why?"

"So I can give you my number and tell you how to remove it."

Jisoo got her phone from her pocket and gave it to Jennie.

Jennie then put in her number and rang her phone.

"There. You'll be fine."

"I worry that the wind might make the beret fly off. Anything can happen in the Kibasen."

"Just, I dunno, tie the bandanna around it? Look, I'll make sure it won't be removed from your head."

"You owe me, Jennie Kim."

"I don't owe you anything."

"You do"

"I don't."

"You do."

"I don't! Oh my God, why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I'm hot and I can get away with anything?"

"Ugh, stop. You're not that hot."

"Says the one who was staring at me."

Jennie rolled her eyes at her.

"Look, we're done here. I'm going to head back now."

"Okay."

Jennie went out of the restroom. She was annoyed, but at the same time, she couldn't ignore the fact that her heart was beating really fast.


	18. A Promise

Jisoo was still frowning while watching the four-legged race. She was sitting together with her friends minus Moonbyul, who seemed to be too busy flirting with a girl named Solar.

Irene was also with them.

"It looks like your section is going to lose, Sooya." Sooyoung observed.

Jisoo shrugged, "I don't really care. I'm just here so I can have some extra credit."

"You better win in the Kibasen dumbass. I bet a lot of money on team JenSoo to win." Seulgi told her patting her on the head. Irene had giggled at this, apparently her girlfriend had told her about what happened, and it seems, a lot more things than necessary.

"Irene, you better not tell Jennie all about their stupidity with this JenSoo thing." Jisoo grumbled.

"Don't worry Jisoo, I won't. But I really think you two would look good together."

"Ugh, not you too?"

"I mean, you ARE wearing her beret." she smirked.

Jisoo blushed.

Irene had to really push her under the bus like that.

All three of her friends looked at her curiously.

"Yeah Jisoo, why are you wearing Jennie's beret?" Momo asked her curiously.

"Yes do tell." Seulgi added.

"It's none of your business." she said. She wasn't going to show them her hair.

She can take the teasing about Jennie, but she knew it would be way worse when they saw what had happened.

Jisoo got up as the four-legged race finally ended and it was time to start the Kibasen.

"I'm off."

"Good luck!" Sooyoung shouted after her.

"Make our ship sail, Sooya!" Seulgi piped in.

"I still need my money Jisoo so make sure ChaeSoo wins!" Momo added.

Jisoo turned and flipped at them. Her friends and Irene just laughed at her.

Maybe she should go search for better friends.

When she was on the field, she started scanning the area for her teammates. Finally, her eyes landed on Jennie, who was busy adjusting her ponytail.

She had to admit, the way Jennie did something as simple as that was quite sexy.

The way her hands were pulled up somehow accentuated her curves, even when she was wearing her PE uniform. She also noticed how intense her cat-like eyes became when she was concentrating on something.

What she was not ready for was when a smile broke out on her face.

A real, genuine gummy smile that lit up her whole facade.

Jisoo felt her heart skip a beat.

She looked towards where Jennie was looking at and saw Chaeyoung, waving at her friend and giving her a thumbs up.

What she didn't realize was that instead of looking at Chaeyoung, her gaze went back to the smiling Jennie Kim.

Her trance was suddenly broken when she felt someone give her a slap on her back.

"Hey Jisoo! You ready to kick some ass on this Kibasen?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Kibasen, right."

The person who had interrupted her trance was her classmate and teammate, Taehyung.

"You okay there?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah, just some things on my mind, nothing to get worked up about."

"Alriight! Let's go! I see Jennie and Nayeon over there." he said, as she shoved her lightly towards their direction.

"Hey Jennie, Nayeon, we are here!"

"Hey Tae! Jisoo!" Nayeon greeted. She was always friendly towards anybody she came across.

"Hey." Jennie answered, finally satisfied with her hair.

"So what's the plan?" Taehyung asked, quite excited about this.

"I'll be the rider. Jisoo at the front, Nayeon at the right and Taehyung at the left." she said simply.

All three of them became silent.

"Uhm...wouldn't it be better if Tae was in front since he's the tallest? It would at least balance the height difference at the back." Nayeon told her.

"It's better this way. I can balance just fine on your shoulders, plus, since you're a volleyball player and Taehyung is quite sturdy, the back should be solid. Jisoo is at the front since she's observant and can make sudden changes when needed." Jennie told them.

Jisoo raised her eyebrows at this, how did she know she was observant?

Her teammates decided to accept her argument. It seemed that she had already thought this through.

"Alright, I trust your instincts on this Jennie! Let's win this! Taehyung said happily.

They pulled her up and she had both her feet on each of the shoulders of Naeyeon and Taehyung, while her hands were on Jisoo's shoulders.

"Jennie, are you sure this is safe?" Jisoo asked her, beginning to worry if the girl was just being too gung-ho for this game.

"I'm fine. Don't worry too much." she said, using her hands to turn Jisoo's head to make it look forward.

"And oh, Nayeon? Tae? Please make sure to hold on to me so I can keep my balance and not fall."

They both nodded.

They then heard the countdown and the whistle finally blew to start the game.

Jennie was directing them and she was really good at what she was doing. At the rate they were going, they had already captured seven bandannas.

Jisoo was smirking, "Well, I am impressed, Princess."

"As you should be, Twilight Sparkle."

"Oh come on."

Jennie just laughed, remembering the incident earlier.

They then came face-to-face with the team compromising of Jessica, Amber, Kai and Baekhyun.

Jessica was their designated rider and Amber was in front.

"Hi Jennie." Kai greeted her with a lazy smile, which kinda annoyed Jisoo for some reason.

_Pretty boy thinks he's so cute._

Jennie just smirked and patted Jisoo on the head.

"Let's go!" she ordered, and her whole team moved. Jisoo tried as much as possible to have Amber pushed out, but their team was too strong.

Jennie on the other hand, was doing her best to grab Jessica's bandanna, but was having some trouble doing so.

It was a tough battle, but Jennie was able to make some progress, almost wrenching out Jessica's bandanna from her head.

Suddenly, Jisoo accidentally kicked Amber's shins hard, which got her howling, and Jessica almost fell but had grabbed on to Jisoo's beret.

_Oh shit! They are going to see!_

This was it, the end of the road for her. Chaeng was going to see her hair, and her chances will now go down to zero.

Plus she was definitely going to be the laughingstock of her class.

 _I guess it was too good while it lasted_. She thought to herself, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

But to her surprise, Jennie had jumped forward, putting her beret back in place without anyone seeing the colorful rainbow paint.

Jisoo was too shocked to react right away that she didn't notice that Jennie was not able to keep her balance and had fallen off, tumbling down into the field.

She then sat up and breathed heavily, looking straight into Jisoo's eyes and grinned at her.

She knew why Jennie had done that, she did tell her earlier that she was going to make sure that the beret would not fall off.

"Sorry guys, I guess I got too into it." Jennie told her team.

"It's alright Jennie, you did great! I'm so proud of us!" Nayeon said to her.

"Yeah, we made an awesome group!" Taehyung agreed.

Jisoo went forward and gave her her hand, which Jennie took. She then pulled her up, with the younger slightly bumping into her.

"That was careless, Princess."

"I'm fine."

"That was still a stupid thing to do."

"I did make a promise didn't I?"

Jisoo was silent at this.

"Anyway, you now owe me one, Twilight Sparkle."

"No I don't!"

"You know you do."

Then she gave Jisoo that damn gummy smile that made her heart skip a beat.

 _I think I'm coming down with arrythmia._  
She thought to herself.


	19. Stubborn

Jennie headed over to the area where the first aid student volunteers were assigned.

She was limping a bit. It was no surprise to her as she did land on her right foot and twisted it when she had fallen earlier.

She entered into one of the tents and came face to face with Soojoo, who smiled warmly at her.

"Welcome to the first aid station. Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.

Jennie was silent for a moment, then realized she had not responded yet.

"Uhm yeah, I just need a compression wrap. My right foot is just a bit sore and I still have to do the 100 meter dash relay." she told her.

"Are you sure that is all you need? I can check it for you just to make sure."

"No, I'm fine. I've had these types of sprains before since I dance from time to time."

Soojoo looked at her, then at her foot. It seems she decided not to say anything and gave her the wrap.

"If it's getting painful, please don't hesitate to come back here."

"Sure." Jennie said simply and headed out.

She then went to one of the trees and sat down, leaning her back against it. She carefully removed her shoe, and winced when she had finally taken it off.

She could see that her ankle had swollen a bit, and was in fact, quite painful. But she felt she would be fine.

She wasn't lying when she said she had dealt with sprains before.

She wrapped the bandage around her ankle, making sure it was nice and tight, but also loose enough so her foot could breathe.

Once she had worn her shoe again, she exhaled and stood up, testing her foot to see how it was holding up.

It was still sore, but the pain was manageable now. She felt confident enough to run on it.

She then headed towards the track.

**************************************

Jisoo was trying to walk as fast as she could, but the girl was persistent. She just wanted to leave and be done with this day.

 _How is she this fast when she is damn limping?_ She thought to herself.

"Jisoo, you have to do this, please! We don't have a replacement and I'm sure you can run fast. Plus this is all your fault!" the girl called out.

Jisoo stopped and faced her, which had taken the other girl by surprise.

She huffed and looked at her square in the face.

"Look Amber, I'm sorry for what happened, really. It was an accident and I didn't intend for you to be sprained. But I can't replace you for the 100 meter relay."

"You need to, there's no one else more qualified."

"How would you know that?"

"I've seen you run before."

"The answer is no. It's a waste of my time and I don't really give a fuck if we win or not."

"You have to! I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important!"

Jisoo inhaled, she was getting irritated. Can't this girl take a hint?

"Jisoo!" someone called out and she spun around.

It was Soojoo who walked slowly towards her.

"Soo, Jennie just came into the tent earlier and she was limping. She asked for a compression wrap but I think she's doesn't want to tell me the truth that it is more serious than what she wants me to believe."

"And that is my problem, why?"

"She said she will be running the 100 meter dash relay."

Jisoo softly cursed. Jennie was being damn stubborn.

"Whatever she wants to do with her life, that's on her. And no Amber, I'm not replacing you." she angrily stated and walked out with a huff.

Can't everybody just leave her alone?

**************************************

Jennie was at the starting line. She was going to be the last one who will be given the baton. She inhaled quietly and told herself that she can do this.

Rosé would be the first runner, followed by Yeri, Lisa and finally her.

 _You can do this Kim! It's nothing but a little pain. You can do this!_ She told herself over and over again.

Rosé had won the Kibasen, much to her delight. She had been talking non-stop about the free buffet to everyone who cared to hear.

Jennie just chuckled at this.

She looked at her friend who was fully focused on the task at hand. She was confident they could do this.

The referee was finally at the starting line. All runners were positioned, baton in hand, waiting for the whistle to blow.

The referee put up his hands.

"Okay, runners, get ready. On your mark, set, GO!"

 _Prrrt_!

The runners took off with Rosé leading the pack. She had a smile on her face but wasn't aware that the runner from section C, Bona was catching up fast.

Finally they were neck and neck as Rosé quickly gave the baton to Yeri, who took off right away.

They were still neck and neck with section C, but Yeri was determined to keep up her pace.

Finally, she reached Lisa, who took the baton and made a quick dash.

With her long legs and tenure as a soccer player, it was not surprising that Lisa had the advantage, leaving the next runner of section C in the dust.

They had a tremendous lead, and Jennie was sweating bullets when she waited for her turn.

She was thinking that it was a good thing that Lisa had made sure to generate a big lead, she could at least keep a good pace against her opponent despite her injury.

Finally, Lisa arrived and gave her a wink as she passed over the baton to her. Jennie immediately ran off.

With each step, the pain in her right foot grew. She gritted her teeth as she tried to run as fast as she could.

She must not let her team down.

_Goddammit Jennie! You are not a weakling! You can do this!_

Tears began to sting her eyes as the pain became almost unbearable. She was so close to the finish line!

_Push yourself goddammit!_

She was almost there, she was so close.

But her body could not take it anymore and she stumbled forward, falling into her lane.

She punched her fist into the ground and then pushed herself up, then started running again. This time she was visibly limping.

The runner from 3C had caught up and passed into the finish line, her classmates cheering her on.

Jennie still pushed.

_Just a bit more._

The runner from A caught up and finished too, and finally the runner from D.

Jennie finally passed the finish line and her classmates surrounded her, Chaeyoung and Lisa visibly worried about her injury.

"Dammit Jennie, you could have told us that you sprained your ankle!" Lisa told her angrily.

Jennie wanted to cry, she really wanted to win. But she could not let them see how weak she was.

"I'm fine Manoban. I guess I overestimated myself."

"Overestimated? Jen-"

"Lisa." Chaeyoung warned, and grabbed Jennie and put her arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, let's go to the first aid tents." she told Jennie softly. Lisa just huffed and followed the both of them.

"Can you just place me over there? I just want to rest for a bit." Jennie told her while pointing to a secluded area with a lot of trees.

Chaeyoung nodded and headed over there. She helped Jennie sit down in front of a tree.

The three of them were quiet and Jennie grinned at them.

"I'm sorry guys." she told them sincerely.

"It's fine Jennie-yah. The important thing is that you're okay." Chaeyoung told her smiling.

"Same. I'm sorry about earlier, I was just worried." Lisa mumbled.

Jennie smiled at her.

"It's fine. Can you guys please give me some time alone? I just need to close my eyes for a bit."

Chaeyoung understood and nodded, grabbing Lisa's hand.

"We'll come back in a bit."

"Thank you."

When she was sure they were gone, Jennie finally cried. She was so frustrated at herself, she didn't want to let anyone down.

She then felt something being wrapped around her and looked up.

It was Jisoo, looking at something in another direction, her hands were in her pocket. Her leather jacket was now wrapped around her shoulders.

"That was really stupid, Princess. You could have told me you were injured."

Jennie just kept quiet.

Jisoo sighed then looked at her.

"You did say I owe you one, so I'm doing this."

"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"I'm going to win the next race for you."


	20. To The Limit

Jisoo closed her eyes as she knocked her head on her palms several times.

 _Why am I doing this_? She asked herself.

She felt like an idiot, she didn't have to do the second round of the 100m dash relay.

Yet, here she was, at the track, waiting for the whole thing to start.

Even Amber was taken by surprise when she asked if she still wanted her to take her place.

Seeing Jennie run the race and then cry afterwards made her feel very guilty. She knew Jennie got injured because she made sure the beret wouldn't fall off.

She also knew that because of what had happened in the race, their section's spot had gone down to second, and they needed a win to get back in the game.

_But still, I didn't ask her to run that damn race. She is so stubborn!_

Jisoo huffed as she thought about it.

She was also quite worried, not about the race itself, but the fact that the beret she's wearing will be blown off when it's her turn to run.

_I must keep a steady pace. Just fast enough to be ahead, but not slow enough to let my opponents catch up._

She nodded, her plan felt foolproof. Besides, their team was quite strong with Nayeon, Wendy and Sana joining in.

All three of them were athletes. Nayeon played volleyball, Wendy badminton and Sana was part of their soccer team.

She also asked them to have her run last, which they all agreed to.

She felt the three of them will gain a big enough advantage and she can then just take it easy when her turn comes.

She suddenly heard a lot of noise from somewhere near the track. She turned around and to her horror, she saw her friends carrying makeshift signs with her name on it, cheering her on.

"Wooooh! Go Jisoo! We love you!" they shouted, even making a wave and sending her flying kisses.

She heard some of the Juniors laugh and even point at her.

Jisoo face-palmed and turned away from them, embarrassed.

Jisoo wondered how they knew she would be running.

She sighed, she really needed to find normal friends.

The referee was now calling out the runners. She took her spot and made sure the beret was tucked firmly on her head.

She wished she had some sort of pin or needle to keep it in place but she had no time.

The runners took their places. Wendy would be the first, followed by Sana, Nayeon and finally, her.

The referee called out the signal, Wendy looked ready, and finally, the whistle was blown and they were off!

Wendy shot through the track like a bullet and gained a good lead among the runners. Jisoo took this as a good sign.

 _If this pace keeps up, I don't need to exert much effort on this._ She smirked. Things were finally going her way.

Wendy reached Sana who immediately grabbed the baton and started running. What she wasn't aware of was that a runner from 3D was slowly gaining in on her.

Despite this, Jisoo still felt confident, she just needed to put all her faith on Nayeon.

Once Sana reached the next mark, section 3D was already closing in. Nayeon grabbed the baton and immediately dashed forward without looking back.

Unfortunately, 3Ds runners were quite powerful as well. Nayeon's opponent was Dahyun, who was part of the school's softball team, and she had no trouble catching up, finally gaining a bit of a lead against their section.

Jisoo cursed. This meant she had to really go ahead and exert that much effort on this race.

She internally cried and hoped against hope that her beret wouldn't leave her head.

Dahyun reached Chaeyoung, another member of the softball team, and a known sprinter at that.

Jisoo sighed, of all the people she had to go against, it had to be someone named Chaeyoung too. It was as if the world was against their love.

Nayeon quickly reached Jisoo who swiftly took the baton and ran to try and catch up with the second Chaeyoung, who was not as cute or good looking as the original according to her opinion.

 _Maybe I can just keep up with this pace and win second. Second is not bad, besides, we still have two more rounds for the boys relay._ She thought.

Yeah, that wasn't a bad idea? Why put her hair in danger when she can just chill?

Suddenly, Jennie's face swam into her mind.

**Flashback:**

_"I'm going to win the next race for you."_

_Jennie looked at her, visibly confused._

_"What? I don't understand."_

_Jisoo took a deep breath and scratched at the back of her head._

_"I had accidentally injured Amber when I hit her shins, and she asked me to be her replacement. Since I owe you one for what happened earlier, I'll go ahead and run this stupid race since our section was not able to place at the top because of what happened."_

_"You know you don't have to."_

_"I know, but I will. This makes us even now."_

_Jennie looked at her, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable._

_"I really don't get you sometimes. You care, then you don't."_

" _I just do what I think is best for myself Princess, and I want to make sure that I don't owe you anything."_

_"Okay."_

_"Well, I better get going now."_

_Jisoo started walking out, when Jennie called her._

_"Jisoo!"_

_She turned around._

_"Yeah?"_

_"Thank you." she said, smiling serenely at her._

_Her heart skipped a beat once more._

_Jisoo turned back around and gave her a wave to acknowledge her._

_She just knew one thing: Jennie Kim was bad for her health._

**End of Flashback**

_Grrrrrrr!_

Guilt washed over her. She wanted to ignore it but she couldn't.

_For fuck's sake. Fine!_

She was confident she could catch up to Chaeyoung, Amber was right. She used to run when she was in middle school, and was part of their school's track team.

_Wait! If I could run fast enough, maybe I would be able to stop the beret from falling off once I get to the finish line!_

So Jisoo decided to run with all her might, catching up quickly to the other girl, who was quite surprised when she saw that Jisoo was already not far behind.

_Come on! Come on! Come on!_

She was already neck and neck with Chaeyoung who tried to run even faster.

Jisoo could feel the beret slowly leaving her head. She pushed with all her might as she saw the finish line in front of her.

She finally took the lead and as she crossed the finish line to the delight of her classmates, her beret went flying off into the wind.

Jisoo's hair was finally exposed to the world, and to her surprise, everyone was hugging her, including her idiot friends.

Not one person remarked about her new choice of hair dye.

And as she looked over to the stands, she saw Jennie Kim, smiling proudly at her.

Maybe some things were worth it after all.


	21. Stolen

It was getting a bit dark, and the students were milling around near the stage.

The winners were already announced for each year level, and to Jennie's delight, their section had won first place, thanks to the efforts of all her classmates who participated in the other events.

With that, the band was being set up and everyone was getting excited for them to perform.

Irene, Lisa and Chaeng were with her, and they were sitting around the field while waiting for the next phase of the sportsfest to begin.

Irene had given her a good scolding about what happened. Apparently, she had seen her run and found her just in time after Jisoo left her alone.

Both Lisa and Chaeng decided not to hound her about it, much to her relief.

They bought some burgers and fries from the available food booths around and they were happily munching away as they waited in anticipation for the band.

"So, we get to go to the beach this weekend! I am so excited!" Chaeng exclaimed as her cheeks got bigger and bigger from all the fries she kept eating.

Lisa laughed at her, "You're turning into a chipmunk again."

"Lisa, for the last time, I am not a chipmunk!" she huffed which made her cheeks grow even bigger. All three girls laughed at her cuteness.

"Awwe you're so cute! Here, where's my baby chipmunk? Come on, lemme kiss that baby chipmunk! I wanna kiss my baby chipmunk!" Lisa teased, using her aegyo, as she cupped Chaeyoung's face and kissed her several times on the cheek.

Chaeng playfully shoved her away.

"Noooo! Go away, Lisa!"

Lisa pouted, "Okay, bye."

Chaeng then threw a fry at her face and laughed as Lisa pretended to be shocked.

"So this is how it is huh? Alright, you've asked for it, Chaeyoung-ah!"

Chaeng pointed a warning finger at her.

"No Lisa! Don't you dare!"

Lisa had a mischevious smile on her face as Chaeng backed away from her slowly.

"Here it comes!"

"Aaaaaah!" Chaeyoung screamed as Lisa began to tickle her relentlessly.

Chaeyoung shoved her again and ran away while Lisa followed after her, taunting her with more tickles.

Jennie just smiled at the both of them, amused.

Irene chuckled as she observed the two girls.

"They are really cute."

"Yes they are, in small doses." Jennie told her.

"Oh come on, you love them both."

Jennie shrugged.

"What can I say, they've grown on me, even with their annoying bickering."

Irene laughed at this.

"I am sure you still find it cute when they do."

Jennie just smiled.

"Nice jacket by the way." Irene remarked without looking at her.

Jennie blushed, she was still wearing Jisoo's leather jacket from earlier.

"Y-yeah...I borrowed it from a...from a friend."

Just then, they heard some static, and when they both turned, the band had already begun to introduce themselves and were called Day6.

Afterwards, they began to play their first song.

Seulgi also arrived at the same time, grinning happily at Irene.

"Hi babe. Hi Jennie."

"Hey! You're here." Irene told her playfully

"Hello." Jennie piped in.

"We go to the same school after all. Hey Kim, would you mind if I took my girl out for a bit of a stroll?"

"No, it's fine."

"Babe, Jennie's injured, I can't leave her alone." Irene scolded.

"No Irene, it's okay. I really don't wanna play third wheel at the moment."

Irene gave Jennie a worried look, "Are you sure?"

"Yep. Besides, Lisa and Chaeng should be back soon."

Irene was hesitating.

"I'm serious! Go have fun with Seulgi."

"Alright." Irene finally relented.

"Awesome! Thank you, Kim, I owe you one." Seulgi said as she took Irene's hand.

"Oh, and by the way, nice jacket." she grinned and then winked at Jennie, who began to blush furiously.

They then took their leave. Jennie sighed as she wondered if Seulgi recognized Jisoo's jacket.

It looked like Chaeng and Lisa wouldn't be back anytime soon, so she decided to stand up and look around.

Everyone was enjoying the band and singing the songs. She was enjoying the music too, but not the crowd, so she decided to head further back where she could listen without a lot of people surrounding her.

As she limped towards the back, she saw a familiar figure sitting alone on one of the benches.

She smiled as she made her way towards the person who seemed quite busy listening to the music.

She then put her hands behind her back and jumped in front of the individual.

"Hey Twilight Sparkle! Nice hair!"

Jisoo was taken by surprise which made Jennie giggle.

"Oh, so the tough Kim Jisoo is a scaredy cat after all."

Jisoo rolled her eyes as she composed herself, "Anyone would be jumpy if a person who looks like a dumpling suddenly comes out of nowhere."

Jennie scrunched up her face.

"Wait a minute, are you calling me a dumpling?"

"Yes. A grumpy mandu."

Jennie sat beside her and pushed her by the shoulder.

"I am not a dumpling!"

"Your cheeks say otherwise."

Jennie gasped!

"No! I look like a cucumber! See?" she said as she sucked in her cheeks to try and make it smaller.

Jisoo laughed at this and then pushed her cheeks with her finger.

"Nothing changed, you still look like a mandu. A human mandu."

"Aish! I am not!

"Yes you are."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

They looked at each other and then started laughing.

"God. The energy it takes to argue with you." Jisoo told her.

"Then don't argue."

"Fine. But you're still a mandu."

Jennie puffed up her cheeks.

"See? I win."

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

They became silent. Then the next song played.

"Wait, I love this song! I forgot the title though." Jennie said as she tried to remember.

"Stolen."

"Oh yeah! Yeah, that's it."

( **Cue song)**  
 _We watched the season pull up its own stage_  
 _And catch the last weekend of the last week_

 _"_ Jisoo."

"Hmm?"

"Did you know I was injured before I ran?"

Jisoo became silent. She sighed.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"I guess I felt you were not the type to be stopped when you had your mind set into it. When I saw you, I could see you wanted to prove something to yourself."

"Like what?"

"That you were not weak. I could see it in your eyes. My brother used to have the same look."

"Wait, you have a brother?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Where is he now?"

Jisoo smiled, but Jennie could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I rather not talk about it if you don't mind."

"No, of course not."

_Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced_   
_Another sun soaked season fades away_

They became silent again.

"Hey Jisoo?"

"Hmm?"

"You did well today. Thank you, again, for running the race, even if you did owe me one."

"Yeah. No problem."

"Your hair got exposed because of it."

"It's just hair. Some things were more important." she said as both her eyes did something weird.

"What are you doing?"

"Duh...winking?"

Jennie laughed hard at this.

"Oh God, that is so uncool and just terrible!"

"Hey! My winks get all the ladies."

"I highly doubt that. You looked like you were in pain."

Jisoo grinned, "Fine. I don't know how to wink."

Jennie grinned back.

"No shit sherlock."

_You have stolen my heart._

Jennie looked around and then looked at Jisoo.

"Let's go somewhere else."

"What?"

"Take me somewhere else."

" Are you ordering me midget?"

"We're the same height!"

"I'm a few centimeters taller than you! Plus you basically called my baby a death machine."

"Pleeeease?" Jennie whined, pouting.

Jisoo looked at her while Jennie gave her the best puppy-eyed look she could muster.

Jisoo sighed.

"Fine! You pay for the gas!"

Jennie grinned happily.

"Yaaaaay!"

Jisoo rolled her eyes, "Come on, just so you know, I won't carry you!"

"I'm a strong, independent woman!" she said, then clung on to Jisoo's arm.

"Wha-"

"Don't argue, remember? Let's gooo!"

Jisoo just shook her head and smiled at her.

Jennie knew her heart was beating rapidly. But at this moment, she didn't care.

_You have stolen my heart._


	22. Confusion

Lisa was trying to chase Chaeyoung, who was laughing and taunting Lisa to catch her.

She could have caught the girl but a teammate of hers named Sorn, had suddenly distracted her, causing her to lose sight of her best friend.

"Lisa! I was looking everywhere for you!"

Lisa furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to find Chaeng in the crowd.

"Oh...uh...hey Sorn." She greeted halfheartedly as her eyes continued scanning her surroundings.

No luck.

"Lisa, come on, I have something to show you!" she said as she pulled Lisa with her.

She tried to say something but Sorn was talking non-stop about something she had no idea of.

"...so I told them to wait and there they were so this is totally your chance!"

"Sorn, where are you taking me?"

"Have you not been listening? Ugh, it's fine, you'll understand when we get there. Ooh! There they are, come on!" she said excitedly as they ran towards a group of people.

Lisa noticed that they were mostly her soccer teammates. They greeted each other and one of them threw Lisa a bottle of soda which she caught.

"Hey Lis! We were wondering where you were." Seungyeon, their team's Left Midfielder, informed her.

"Yeah, Sorn basically told me in more words than I can count."

The rest of the people laughed.

"Hey, be thankful that I brought you here." Sorn playfully pouted.

"Where's Chaeyoung? It's rare to see you without her." Minnie, their goalkeeper, asked curiously.

"Oh yeah, I was actually looking for her when Sorn here practically kidnapped me, so I can't stay long because I am sure she will be trying to find me."

"It's fine, we're in the same campus, she might find us soon. Anyway, meet some of our friends who joined in, Yuqi, Soyeon and Miyeon. Guys this is Lisa." Sorn said, introducing the three girls and at the same time, wiggling her eyebrows at Lisa.

"Lisa, I believe you know Miyeon?"

Lisa realized what Sorn was up to. She did know Miyeon as they used to be aquaintances when they were in middle school.

She also used to have a crush on her, and Sorn was aware of that.

However, that wasn't the case anymore and of course she didn't want to be rude to Sorn or to Miyeon.

"Yeah, that's right. Hey Miyeon, how have you been?"

"I've been good thanks! It's been awhile, huh?"

"It has been! Where do you go to school now?"

"I'm at Cube High."

"Okay, cool. What brings you here at YG?"

"Minnie knew Soyeon so she invited us here since she said it would be fun. I didn't know that I would run into you."

"What are the odds right? Uhm...look, I'm really sorry but can you just give me a sec? I just need to call someone."

"Sure." Miyeon smiled.

She excused herself to the side and dialed Chaeng's number.

She was not answering, which surprised her. Her best friend usually picked up the phone right away.

She tried once again but still no luck. She was contemplating on sending a message because she knew the girl practically ignored them or didn't respond to them right away.

She once again tried to call when suddenly, she got distracted as she saw two familar people alone at the back, laughing about something.

It was Jisoo and Jennie.

Lisa then realized that the jacket she was wearing was Jisoo's. She should have known.

 _Wasn't Jennie mad at her?_ She asked herself.

Seeing them like this made her heart hurt.

Yeah, she hasn't confessed to Jennie yet, but she always gave her hints, but the girl made sure to spurn her attention.

Jennie was also the type to not forgive easily, plus, Jennie looked so happy. She hasn't seen the girl laugh or smile like that in awhile.

What was with Jisoo? It seemed she was able to easily break down the walls Jennie put up for herself. No one has ever done that.

Lisa was sure that Jennie wasn't aware of it, and she was very suspicious of Jisoo's motives.

Jennie could just be a notch on her bedpost and she wasn't having that.

She can't have her hurt Jennie.

She was contemplating on going there when suddenly, she saw Chaeyoung walking in front of her together with Chanyeol.

She was talking animatedly with him and he was laughing at whatever story her best friend was telling him.

All thoughts of Jennie and Jisoo instantly evaporated.

Chanyeol was a talented guy and handsome as well, but girls were fair game to him.

Chaeyoung knew that and yet here she was, letting the guy flirt with her.

_So that was why she didn't answer her phone._

Lisa instantly marched over to them.

"Chaeng!"

Chaeyoung turned and her eyes grew wide as she saw Lisa. She gave her a big smile as she approached her.

"Omo Lisa, I was looking everywhere for you! I thought you were playing a trick on me so you could catch me, but I wasn't able to see you anymore."

"I tried calling you but you weren't picking up."

"Oh? I'm sorry! I bumped into Chanyeol and he offered to help me find you. I had a lot of fun talking to him though so I wasn't able to notice your call."

Chanyeol was smiling at her and she had the urge to wipe that grin off of his face.

"I see. Let's go then, I'm getting bored here."

"You are? But the band just started."

"Hey, if Lisa's tired, you can come along with me and my friends, we won't be going home anytime soon." Chanyeol offered hopefully.

Lisa grabbed her best friend's hand.

"It's fine, I'm not that tired. We'll be okay on our own, thanks." she said as she practically dragged her away.

"O-okay. Bye Chan! Thank you for helping me!" she said as she waved goodbye happily. Chanyeol waved back as well.

Lisa was really not in the mood. She led Chaeyoung to a bench somewhere and sat down. She was frowning.

Chaeng noticed this and frowned too.

"Lisa? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer. She was still fuming at the thought of Chanyeol trying to make a move on her best friend.

"Are...are you mad at me?"

Lisa looked at her and saw Chaeyoung's worried face. She also noticed she was about to cry.

"No, hey. Hey! I'm not mad at you, okay?" she said holding Chaeyoung's hands.

"Then why?"

"I just...Chaengie, you know how Chanyeol is with women."

"Lisa, he was just being friendly. Besides I didn't know where you were and I was just trying to find you."

"You could have called me."

"I know, it just flew out of my mind."

"Can you just be careful with him?"

Chaeyoung puffed her cheeks, she looked quite frustrated.

"Lisa, why are you always like this?"

Lisa looked at her, confused.

"Like what?"

"Like this! You always tell me to be careful with the guys who are friendly to me, or even some lesbians. There are times you scare them away even if they haven't done anything! I don't understand you."

"It's because I want to protect you, Chaeng."

"Protect me from what exactly, Lisa?"

"From people who just might hurt you!"

Chaeng laughed at this then shook her head.

"I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions with things like these. Don't you trust me?"

"I do, it's them I don't trust."

"That's such a lame excuse. If you trust me as your best friend, you will let me be, regardless of what you may think of those people."

"You don't know what they're capable of so I just want to protect you."

"I am perfectly capable of protecting myself thank you!"

"You don't know that!"

"I do and stop acting like you're my girlfriend!"

Chaeyoung quickly covered her mouth at this and Lisa was stunned.

Chaeyoung closed her eyes and covered her face with her palms.

She looked at her best friend and inhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry Lisa, that was...that was a stupid thing to say. Anyway, I'll just...head home."

Lisa stood up right away.

"I'll take you home."

"I'll be fine."

"Please?"

"Lisa...I just want to be alone. Can you please, please just give me this, okay?"

She was about to protest but saw that Chaeng was being serious. She felt so stupid for doing this to her and she looked at Chaeng in the eye and nodded.

"If that is what you need, then...of course."

Chaeng gave her a tight-lipped smile then turned around and walked away without saying a word.

She watched sadly as she disappeared into the night, her heart feeling heavier than before.

_Congrats idiot, you just made your best friend cry._


	23. It's Time

Chaeyoung decided to stop by in one of her favorite cafés near the campus.

She was still a bit pissed off at her best friend, but at the same time she was also shocked at what she had told her.

She knew Lisa meant well, but her being overprotective was getting irritating.

She knew she can be a clumsy person. She sometimes lived in her own world and she knew she was a bit naive and idealistic with how the world works, but she didn't need Lisa to keep on holding her hand every time.

The funny thing was, Lisa was trying to protect her from getting hurt when she was practically already there with her.

_Stupid Lisa! You're so stupid sometimes, you know that?_

She wished she knew how to get rid of her feelings. She has been trying, but instead of stopping, it practically kept growing.

She knew her best friend was rash and quick to make decisions without thinking things through, but despite all her rough edges, Lisa was a kind-hearted person.

She had seen this first-hand when she volunteered at the orphanage, or tried to teach kids soccer for free. She always gave extra to those in need and who could forget the stray cats she adopted?

They were already four of them and she let Chaeyoung name the last three.

She was also easy to forgive and never gave up on the things she dreamed about, which Chaeyoung admired to no end. Plus, she was always there for her when no one was or could be.

Lisa practically drops everything just to be by her side.

She wasn't that angry at her, just really frustrated.

She didn't understand the girl, she gave her mixed signals, sometimes acting one way and doing something else the next.

Sometimes, she just wanted to tell her how she feels and to ask her what she thought of that.

Was she really that invested with her feelings with Jennie?

It looked like it.

For her to confess would mean opening up her heart and telling Lisa that she's ready and willing to have her rip it out of her.

Was she ready for that?

Was she ready to put her feelings out there and deal with the pain after?

Was she ready to put their friendship on the line?

_Why must everything be so difficult? Can I just go back to the days where I just loved her as my best friend?_

She wished she could, it would make things less complicated. But here she was, stuck at this very moment.

She wished Jennie was here, but she knew she had to decide on her own.

She drank the hot tea that she ordered earlier.

She guessed she knew what she had to do.

She was just scared.

Scared of what this might mean for their future.

 _Well, nobody is really ready for some things anyway._ She told herself.

If she wanted to move on from this, she must do it. Even if it was going to be painful.

She finished her tea and got up. She knew where to go from here.

**************************************

Chaeng got out of the cab and walked around near the benches of the riverbank.

This was their spot and Chaeng was sure she would find her here.

She saw her. Her shoulders were slumped down and her eyes were looking at the water, but it was obvious that her mind was far away.

Chaeyoung's heart went out to her, it was obvious that Lisa was like this because of the fight they had earlier.

She slowly walked towards her and sat down beside her. She looked at her best friend, her face was sad, and it was obvious that she had been crying.

"Hey.."

Lisa snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at her.

"Ch-chaeng!" she said, as if she almost couldn't believe she was here.

"Just so you know I'm not mad at you." she told her.

"You're not?"

"No, just frustrated and disappointed I guess."

Lisa sighed, "I'm sorry Chaeng. I didn't want you to feel that way. I was stupid and you were right. I'm being a sucky best friend and I should trust you more with these things."

"It's okay, I understand."

"No it's not. I should know where my limits are, and you should be free to be friends with who you want or even...more than friends."

Chaeng smiled at this.

"Thank you Lisa, I know you meant well. It was just getting a bit irritating and I just had enough. I couldn't understand why you were doing this."

"I'm sorry, Chaeyoung-ah." she said sadly.

"It's fine." then squeezed her hand, which Lisa squeezed back.

"Also, I haven't been totally honest with you, Lisa."

Lisa looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

This was it.

She gathered all her courage and strength just so she could do this.

Her knees were getting wobbly but she had to keep her courage, she had to do this for herself.

"The truth is, I...I like you."

"Huh? What...what do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I like you, like more than a friend should. It has been this way for quite some time now, and trust me, I tried to stop it, I really did, but I couldn't. I know I'm not exactly your type and...you're my best friend and that scares me."

Lisa looked at her, dumbfounded.

"Chaeng..."

Chaeyoung started crying.

"Oh dear." she laughed as she sniffled through her tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry, you know how I am. But I am not expecting anything from you Lisa, I just wanted to tell you, not because I am hoping for something more, but because I needed to do it for myself. You're one of the most important people to me and the thought of losing you frightens me more than anything. But I also owe it to myself that if you don't feel the same way, I also have to move forward so I can still remain the Chaeyoung that you can always rely on."

She smiled at her through the tears.

Lisa held her hand tightly, and she brushed a strand of her hair out of her face.

"Chaeng, you're one of the most important people in my life too, and I want you to know, I would never think of leaving you for even a second." she started crying too.

"I also don't want to hurt you, seeing you in pain is something I never wish to go through. Believe me, it's one of the most unbearable things I have watched, and especially if I'm the one doing it, even if I didn't mean to."

Lisa gritted her teeth.

"As much as I wish that I could return your feelings, I can't. I don't want to tell you this but...I'm really sorry Chaeng." she sobbed.

Chaeyoung hugged Lisa who hugged her back tightly and they both cried.

It hurt Chaeyoung, it hurt a lot, but at the same time she felt relieved. Because at the end of it, she didn't lose her best friend.

She knew what she went here for and she was ready for it. But she knew it would take time to heal the hurt.

Especially with how Lisa was holding her right now, like she was the most precious thing on Earth.


	24. Things That Take Awhile To Understand

Jennie was still clinging to Jisoo's arm as they walked to the school's parking lot, the latter wondering how she always gets into these situations.

It would have been easier to say no, but for some reason, she was incapable of saying it to the tiny mandu currently latched on to her like a koala.

They finally reached her bike, she looked at Jennie who seemed happy enough to just hold on to her for as long as she could.

She sighed, "Are you going to keep on holding on like this even if I am driving?"

"Is it possible?" Jennie asked her, wide eyed.

"Sure, if you want an accident to happen."

Jennie let go immediately, but was pouting.

Was she always such a baby? She could only recall the moments that Jennie was putting on that resting bitch face that she was quite famous for.

She gave Jennie one of her helmets and leaned a bit into her motorcycle.

"So, where do you want to go, Princess?"

Jennie shrugged.

"I don't know."

Jisoo sighed.

"You wanted to get out of here, so you must have at least a place in mind."

"Not really, I just wanted to go somewhere. Anywhere."

"Anywhere?"

"Yup! You can take your pick!" she said, using that damned gummy smile.

It was like some sort of weapon that this girl used to incapacitate her. She wielded it like Kryptonite and it gave her weird bouts of arrhythmia.

"I can't think of something."

"I can't believe that, you have a bike so you must have been to many places."

"I'm drawing a blank at the moment."

She really was, she couldn't think of anything.

Jennie puffed up her cheeks.

"Are you just saying that so we don't have to go anywhere?"

"I wish I was but I'm not kidding."

Jennie looked disappointed.

She did not like looking at a disappointed mandu.

_You're getting way to soft, Kim Jisoo._

"Look, how about this. You think of somewhere we can go first then I can try and think of another place we can hang out."

Jennie's face brightened immediately. She began wearing the helmet and looked at her with determination.

"Well then, if that's the case let's go to the convenience store nearby and buy some ice cream." she said happily.

Jisoo cocked an eyebrow but decided to just go with the flow. She took her helmet and wore it, then she rode her motorcycle and gunned the engine.

She looked at Jennie, who was looking at the bike uncertainly.

"Wait, don't tell me you're still scared?"

"A little, but it's not that." She said, biting her lip.

Jisoo realized right away what was holding her back.

"Princess, just use your left foot on the foot peg, and put your hands on my shoulders. Use them to lift yourself up and you will be able to ride the bike without any trouble."

Jennie hesitated at first but then nodded. She followed Jisoo's instructions and she was able to get on the bike.

"Yaaay!" she said, clapping her hands like some excited kid.

Jisoo chuckled.

"Well then, remember to hold on tight."

To her surprise, Jennie wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, squishing her body onto her back.

She stiffened a bit as she felt jolts of electricity surge throughout her entire body, her heart beating rapidly at the same time.

She breathed in to calm herself down.

 _Okay, that was weird, but it's nothing to be worried about._ She told herself.

The girl was getting too close for comfort. She normally was the type who detested clinginess, but for some reason, she didn't have the heart to tell Jennie off.

She decided to ignore whatever this was and drove off, focusing instead on the road.

When they finally arrived at the store, Jennie was having some trouble getting off due to her injury.

So Jisoo put up her bike stand and got off, then smiled at Jennie who looked like a helpless kid.

_She's such a baby. Who knew?_

_"_ Alright, come on Princess, hold on to me so I can help you out of there."

Jennie looked at her.

She decided to make the first move and held on to her waist.

Jennie then put her arms around her neck and leaned her head into her shoulder.

Jisoo was taken aback by her action, but most of all, with the fact that Jennie smelled so good.

Like strawberries and warm ocean breeze.

_Jisoo, focus!_

She then lifted Jennie up a bit until she was able to finally get off of her motorcycle.

They held on to each other a bit longer than necessary, Jisoo feeling her heart beating rapidly. The sound of it was pounding in her ears and it felt like it was threatening to explode out of her chest.

She let go immediately.

"Uhm...so we're here. Weren't you talking about ice cream?" she asked, feeling a bit awkward.

Jennie nodded.

"You stay here, I'll go buy it for us. What flavor do you like?"

"I'm fine, just buy one for yourself."

The mandu cheeks were showing up again. She wasn't taking no for an answer.

"You have to eat it with me, it's lonely if I only get it for myself. Come on, what's your favorite flavor?"

Jisoo sighed. This was going to be a long night.

"Fine. Chocolate."

"See, that wasn't so hard." she smirked, and went inside the store.

Jisoo leaned in into her bike, trying to make sense of everything.

Jennie made her do things she didn't normally agree to, made her feel things she never felt before.

What was it with her?

It annoyed her to no end, yet here she was, doing things this midget asked of her.

Jennie finally came out of the store holding on to two cones of ice cream and gave her the chocolate one.

They ate in silence, which was pleasantly comfortable.

Jennie looked at her, and smiled at her with an amused expression.

"What?"

"You look cute eating ice cream with rainbow hair."

She almost forgot about that.

"Ugh, you better tell me how to remove this."

"What if I prefer your hair that way?"

"Well, then that means I'll have to color your hair in this style too."

"I can easily remove it."

"I'll recolor it everyday if I have to."

She pouted.

"You're no fun."

"Says the human dumpling."

"I'm not a dumpling!"

"Yes you are. Get used to it, the truth will set you free."

Jennie glared at her.

"Glaring at me still won't change it."

"Hmph."

She laughed as continued to eat her ice cream.

"I was just curious about something." Jennie told her.

"What about?"

"Why a motorcycle? Why not a car when it's safer?"

Jisoo finished her cone and wiped her face with a napkin. She gave it some thought.

"Well, I understand that it is much more dangerous than a car, but there's a feeling that a bike gives you that a car can never do."

"Like what?"

"It makes you keenly aware of your own mortality. There's a sense of thrill and freedom when driving one, like everything is at the tip of your fingertips. You see everything and you feel everything rushing at you, and it makes you lose yourself into that emotion. At the same time, you also can't relax, you have to be aware at every turn because one wrong move can snuff you out in an instant. It makes you feel alive."

"How come I can't feel that?"

Jisoo chuckled.

"Because you have your eyes closed the whole time. How can you enjoy something if you let your fear take over you?"

"I can keep my eyes open if I want to!"

"Sure."

"I can!" She insisted.

Jisoo smirked. She had decided on the next place they were going to.

"Prove it to me first, Princess."

"I will!"

"Well then, put on your helmet, I'm taking you out for an actual ride."

Jennie quickly wore it and Jisoo was amused at how much she wanted to prove herself to her.

"Let's go then." she said confidently.

Jisoo rode her bike and Jennie gingerly got herself on again.

She turned on the engine and put on her helmet.

"Remember: eyes open."

"Too easy."

_This is going to be fun._


	25. This Hearfelt Leap, I Surrender

Jennie held on to Jisoo tightly as she zoomed out into the highway.

She couldn't help it, her eyes closed the instant she felt the bike move a little faster. She was scared, it was a bike after all and anything could happen.

She buried her face into Jisoo's back, enjoying her scent.

_How can someone be this beautiful and smell extremely heavenly at the same time?_

_"_ Still have your eyes closed, Princess?" Jisoo asked her with an amused tone.

She was not going to give her the satisfaction of being right.

"I'm just getting used to it, just give me some time."

"If you say so."

She was so annoying.

She breathed in, and then forced herself to open her eyes.

She saw cars and citylights pass them by. People from different walks of life were much more clearer as they went about their business as the wind rushed into her face.

She felt her fear slowly ebb away as she began to enjoy the sights around her.

Jisoo was right, being on a motorcycle definitely felt different compared to being inside a car.

She was wondering where they were headed.

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise."

"Are you sure you're not planning on kidnapping me?"

"You were the one who asked me to take you anywhere, Princess. So sit tight and relax."

She decided to just let Jisoo do what she wanted and trust her on where she was going to take her. She felt safe enough with her anyway.

They finally turned into an intersection and Jennie realized they were going up the mountains.

"Hey Princess, I'm going to speed up a bit more here so hold on tightly. Also, make sure to lean in the same direction as I do, alright?"

"What?!"

"What I said!"

Then Jisoo twisted harder on the throttle and they shot off into the night, Jennie screaming her lungs out and holding on to her for dear life.

Jisoo laughed hard as they sped up the mountains.

"Are you crazy?! Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Now why would I do that?" Jisoo shouted back at her.

Jennie was closing her eyes hard, she was too young to leave this world.

"Remember Princess, eyes open!"

She swore she was going to push her off a cliff if she was going to survive this.

"I hate you!"

"Eyes open!"

Jennie hated her with all of her being, but she was not going to back down.

She was so scared, but she opened her eyes anyway.

Slowly, she did so, until finally they were fully opened. Once she did, she was quite overwhelmed with what she was seeing and feeling.

She was awestruck at what she saw.

The city was off in the distance now, but she could still see the lights twinkling off in the distance.

The view was spectacular, and the wind all around them made her feel free.

She reveled in the feeling, it was exhilarating.

The fact that her motion sickness was not triggered surprised her too.

A grin slowly formed on her face and she began laughing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jisoo told her.

She just leaned her head again into her back and snuggled her tightly.

She had to admit it was.

They finally arrived at their destination, and Jennie noticed they were parked near a small hill.

Jisoo once again helped her down, this time letting her go much faster than earlier.

"So how was it?"

"I'm still contemplating of killing you in your sleep."

"That's a tragedy to the human race."

"You wish!"

She just shrugged and gave her a smile.

Jisoo then looked up the hill.

"Is this it?"

"Yup."

"You're going to let me climb that? You are a monster!"

Jisoo laughed then crouched down.

"Hop on, Princess."

She was surprised, but then went forward and hopped on her back, wrapping her arms near the base of her neck, while Jisoo put her knees on top of her arms then carried her all the way to the top of the hill.

She was quite strong, and Jennie was snuggled tightly on her back, her heart beating faster and her stomach doing flipflops all the way there.

When they finally arrived, Jisoo put her down slowly.

She put her hands on her hips as she began scanning the view around her.

Jennie decided to get up and turn around.

This was the second time today that she felt awestruck.

The view was spectacular. She could see the whole city and the stars were clearly seen on the night sky.

They were shining like diamonds, blanketing the whole sky.

It was amazing.

"This is a spot a love going to every now and then. I prefer the quiet and solitude compared to the hustle and bustle of the city." Jisoo told her.

"I-just, wow."

"That's what I said when I first saw this."

Jennie looked at her and noticed that Jisoo had such a serene expression on her face.

It made her smile, and for some reason her heart burst with happiness at this.

"How did you discover this?"

"I was just driving around and I got tired then I saw this hill. I parked my bike and decided to check it out. One of the best decisions I ever made."

Jennie agreed. It was really something.

"Why'd you decide to take me here?"

Jisoo shrugged.

"I dunno, I just wanted something different? Also, I felt it would be something you would appreciate."

Jennie continued to look at the view.

"Jisoo?"

"Yes?"

"Does this mean were friends?"

"Will you stop glaring at me with every opportunity you get?"

Jennie laughed at this.

"Yes, well until you do something stupid again."

"Hardly."

"I'm sure you will soon."

"Some friend you are."

"You have no choice in the matter."

"I feel I've gotten the short end of the stick."

"Deal with it." Jennie said, grinning.

They looked at each other.

Jennie admitted the view was fantastic.

But looking at Jisoo, she felt like she was on that bike again, driving at a reckless speed, with no signs of stopping. But she felt free and exhilarated, like her veins were pumping with so much life that she couldn't get enough.

She couldn't get enough of this view that was Jisoo.


	26. Happier

It was early Saturday morning, the sun was barely peeking out from the sky, yet, life was bustling right now at YG High's parking area.

The students of Year 3B were milling about, their excitement palpable in the air.

It wasn't surprising, they had won that sportsfest after all and were awarded with a two-day stay at a beach resort.

Most of them were chatting about their plans and what they were looking forward to when they arrived.

Lisa, meanwhile, was running as fast she could towards the parking lot, worried about the thought of being left behind.

She finally rounded the corner and saw that everyone was still there.

She felt relieved when she saw her two friends standing around, talking about something.

She finally stopped in front of them and bent down, putting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

She then raised her head as she looked at the both of them and grinned happily.

"You're lucky you got here a few minutes before the time or you would have missed us." Jennie scolded her.

"The important thing is, I'm here. I always get here on time anyway. That's me, Lalisa Manoban, always on time for you!"

"More like barely on time."

"Still on time!"

Jennie just shook her head and chuckled.

"If that's what makes you happy, Lisaya."

Lisa then stood up properly and looked at Chaeng, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her.

They had barely spoken a word to each other since that day.

It was true that Chaeng was one of the most important people in her life and she would be devastated if she lost her, but right now, she does not know how to deal with this.

It seems Chaeng didn't too, and they tried as much as possible to not make things awkward. But it was an almost impossible task.

Lisa had been spending more time with her teammates than with them, saying that they had a lot to do since soccer season was almost starting.

Lisa wondered if Jennie ever noticed the tension between them. If she did, she didn't show it, which she was thankful for.

She also realized that Jennie was looking around the area. She finally perked up when she found the person she wanted to see.

Lisa instantly knew who it was, since Jennie had invited her one time to their lunch table.

If she and Chaeng were awkward, it was ten times worse having her around.

But Jennie didn't seem to care. She had formed a budding friendship with the notorious delinquent who somehow made her smile a lot and got her into fits of laughter every now and then.

Even Chaeyoung didn't seem to mind having her around, instantly becoming friendly with her when she joined them, which annoyed Lisa to no end.

But she couldn't tell Chaeng that.

Not after everything.

Not after hurting her like that. She doesn't really deserve the girl.

She just wanted her to be happy.

She watched Jennie walk towards Jisoo.

She gave Chaeng a side-glance, she was watching their friend as well, and she looked happy enough seeing the both of them like that.

As she continued to gaze at her, she didn't notice Chanyeol arrive until he had started talking, which caught her by surprise.

She looked at him and saw that side smile he had practiced tons of time with other girls.

Lisa's scowl was apparent as she stared at him, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

"Hey Chaeyoung! Hey Lisa!"

"Hi Chanyeol!" Chaeng responded.

Lisa just grunted at him.

"How are you guys this morning?"

"I'm fine, I guess? I am a bit excited though, I have to admit." Chaeng answered him. Lisa chose to remain silent.

"Yeah, me too! It's been awhile since I've been to the beach. I used to swim a lot when I was a kid."

"Wow, your childhood must have been pretty fun. I used to go as well when we were still in Australia with my family. Sadly, not as much now."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes! I miss it, maybe that's why I am quite excited for this trip."

Chanyeol seemed to think about something and smiled widely at her.

"You know what, Chaeng? I'd like to hear more of that because it sounds pretty awesome. Would you mind if I asked you to sit beside me on the way there?"

Chaeng hesitated and looked at Lisa, who just gave her a blank stare.

She then noticed that Chaeng suddenly looked determined about something.

Chaeng smiled at him, "Of course, why not? I'd be glad to."

Chanyeol looked surprised at her answer but was able to recover right away.

Lisa was also shocked but didn't say anything, even though every fiber of her being wanted to stop her.

"A-alright! I'll just go get my stuff so we can get on together."

"Sure thing."

He smiled at her happily and walked towards the area where his things were.

An awkward silence immediately fell between them.

Lisa decided to break it by speaking up first.

" So...Chanyeol huh?"

" Yes, I hope you see nothing wrong with that."

"Of course, nothing is wrong with that. You can befriend whoever you want, Chaeyoung-ah."

Chaeyoung looked at her and smiled genuinely, "Thank you, Lisa."

Lisa smiled back.

They heard a lot of noise and tried to check the source.

It seems the bus had finally arrived and students were already lining up so they could get good seats.

Chanyeol had jogged up to them with his things.

"Let's go Chaeng! I'll help you bring some of your stuff."

"Thanks Chan!" she said and turned to Lisa.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" she asked, worried.

"I'll be fine. I can go with some of the guys."

"Maybe you can go with Jennie, at least you will be able to spend some alone time with her?"

"Yeah, maybe I can do that."

"Let's catch up when we get there."

"Yeah, of course."

"See you then, Lisa!" she said as she bid her goodbye and went off with Chanyeol.

Jennie was still busy with Jisoo and she noticed that Irene was also there along with Seulgi.

She was not in the mood to fake pleasantries with anyone else.

She scanned her surroundings and saw Bambam together with Jackson. She decided to go towards them since Bam and her had been buddies since they were kids.

But as she walked towards them, a feeling of emptiness suddenly surrounded her. She tried to push it back, she did not dare let it take over her.

It was easier that way, pushing back situations she did not want to deal with.

Pushing back emotions she did not wish to surface.


	27. The Perfect Storm

**A/N: Let's take a mini break from Jensoo and Chaelisa and give some love to Seulrene. 😊**

******************************************

Irene was busy checking with the attendance list of the Year 3B students who had won the school-sponsored beach outing during the sportsfest.

She was still feeling a bit drowsy, as she had to wake up earlier than she was used to.

Unfortunately, Mr. Bang had come downwith an illness, and Miss Lee needed another person to help her chaperone the students on their trip.

No other teacher was available, so Miss Lee had to ask Irene if she was willing to fill in his shoes on such short notice.

She had agreed, and to her delight, Miss Lee also allowed her to bring another person with her if she wanted.

The person in question had just arrived, grinning at her like an idiot.

Funny how the both of them fell for one another when Irene really disliked the girl and Seulgi had felt that way too.

She had found her arrogant and cocky, the type of person who was not scared to bend or even break the rules.

They've had their share of arguments in the past, and she was adamant at keeping away from her and her group of friends who had a bad reputation in the school.

Seulgi also got on her nerves a lot of times, anyone who saw them back then would never have thought that they would end up together.

But their paths crossed once again when Seulgi worked for a summer job in one of their family's cafés, and her father had also asked her to work there so she could understand how it feels to earn for her own keep.

He also wanted her to understand what it felt like being employed at one of their ventures. There was no special treatment given to her.

At first, they were always at odds with each other, but as time went by, they got to know one another.

Irene discovered a softer side of Seulgi. She noticed how she took her work seriously and always thought about her co-employees. She was not above working extra hours if another one of them had an emergency and needed someone to cover for them.

Though she loved teasing her friends, she was very loyal to them, especially Jisoo. She had seen first hand how she defended her when times got rough and how she always had her back, and Jisoo was the same as well.

Small talks became lunch dates, and lunch dates turned to dinner. Later on, it was not surprising to see them go home late just so they could spend more time with each other.

Irene found herself falling for her, but it scared her. She didn't know if she could trust Seulgi, especially knowing her reputation.

But Seulgi had confessed and proved to her time and again how much Irene meant to her and gave her every reason to trust her.

So it was really not that difficult for her to take that leap of faith and let Seulgi catch her.

It was probably one of the best decisions in her life. The girl made her happy, and she could not ask for more than to be by her side.

Seulgi wrapped her in her arms and kissed her forhead.

"Good morning, beautiful. You seem quite busy."

"Mhmm, good morning." she said as she inhaled her girlfriend's scent. It was addicting to say the least.

"Just had to make sure everyone is accounted for."

"My baby is so hardworking. You didn't have to come along, you know."

"Yeah, but I just wanted to help Miss Lee. Besides, you didn't have to either, and yet here you are."

"I need to make sure the sharks won't get you."

"You just love me."

Seulgi smiled at her, "You got me."

"Ugh, get a room you two. It's too early in the morning and you're being this disgusting."

They both turned and saw Jisoo, giving them an annoyed look and pretending to barf.

"You're just jealous because you don't have a proper girlfriend." Seulgi teased.

"I don't need a proper girlfriend to get laid, thanks."

"Oho, so why is there no progress with either Rosé or Jennie?"

"Why does Jennie always come up in this conversation?"

"Because I am the captain of your ship and it is my duty to make sure it sails."

"That's really corny."

"It may be to you, but that is the truth, right babe?"

Irene just giggled at what she said and got back to checking the attendance.

Jisoo just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I could have just stayed at home. You know how much I don't like the beach, Seul."

"You could have but here you are. Why are you blaming me for your life's decisions?"

"You basically blackmailed me you poor excuse of a best friend."

Seulgi feigned a shocked expression, "I am hurt by this accusation! I would never!"

"You owe me chicken! You better buy me chicken!"

Yeah, yeah. Well, like what they said, you are what you eat." Seul said, grinning micheviously.

"That's it!"

Irene watched as Jisoo chased Seulgi around until she caught her and tried to do a headlock around the girl.

When she was successful, they were both laughing and Seulgi tried to call uncle.

Finally Jisoo let go of her.

"So sensitive, Sooya!" Seulgi told her as she tried to fix her shirt.

"You're still as weak as ever."

"Whatever. Oh, you're girlfriend is coming over. Be nice."

Irene looked up and saw Jisoo turn around and see Jennie walking towards her.

She chuckled because Jisoo did not protest when Seulgi basically called her her girlfriend.

She smiled to herself as she saw Jennie interact with her.

She has known Jennie since they were kids, and she has never seen her open up quickly to another person.

Jennie was one who always had her guard up, but was soft like marshmallows once she let you in.

But Jisoo just somehow steamrolled herself into her life, unknowingly and effortlessly breaking the walls of the usually distant Jennie Kim.

Though Jisoo complained that Jennie was getting too close for her liking, she never once heard her say it to her best friend.

_Could it be that Jisoo does like her but is in denial with her feelings?_

Seulgi came up to her and looked at the both of them.

"You know, Jisoo hates skinship, especially when the person doing it isn't that close to her."

"Whipped if you ask me."

Seulgi grinned at her.

"That's why you're my girl."

Irene kissed her on the cheek.

"They're both idiots if you ask me."

"Well, I'm her best friend so I can definitely vouch for that. She keeps talking about Chaeng but let's Jennie in."

"She probably doesn't realize it yet."

"Most likely. She keeps on insisting about Chaeyoung. I wonder why? There must be something she's not telling me."

"Well you know her more than I do, so you could be right."

Seulgi looked thoughtful.

"I'll definitely get to the bottom of this."

"I am sure you will babe. But first, let's keep on stoking the flame that's building up here."

Seulgi smirked.

"I really love the way you think."


	28. Make Up Your Mind

Jisoo was sitting comfortably on her bus seat, happily munching on a chocolate bar.

She was not really looking forward to this trip, but she didn't have a choice. Seulgi had threatened to show Irene what her room really looked like if she didn't come along and she didn't want that to happen.

She had a reputation to uphold after all.

Speaking of the devil, Seulgi and Irene were across from her, and were laughing about something.

She was happy her best friend had found Irene. She remembered how Seulgi used to complain about her, then without warning, they were suddenly inseparable.

If only she and Chaeng had a chance like that.

Right now she was working on it, and having Jennie as her friend was a blessing in disguise for that. Chaeyoung was already on speaking terms with her and that made her very happy.

She then looked to her right.

The mandu was sleeping soundly. She had basically come up to her earlier and convinced her that they should sit together.

They had a mini argument about it until she bribed her with chocolate bars which made Jisoo agree.

She also bribed her again to let her have the window seat.

Jisoo wondered if she had brought a bag of chocolates just so she can bribe her with stuff on this trip.

After their time up in the mountains, Jennie had taken it upon herself to find Jisoo whenever she was free.

It was kinda annoying but Jisoo had to admit that she did enjoy talking to the dumpling.

She knew she was smart, but she realized she wasn't just book smart, she was quite witty too and was well-read.

Also, seeing another side of Jennie was refreshing. Her cold persona was gone when she was with her and she had to admit it was pretty cute.

She looked at her again and noticed how peaceful she looked asleep. A smile tugged on her lips, it was a nice sight to behold.

"Jisoo, we're near, get your things ready. Also, can you please wake up Jennie?" Irene told her.

"Oh okay, yeah sure." she said as she turned back to the sleeping mandu.

She shook her lightly, "Hey Princess, we're almost there, wake up."

Jennie just groaned and went back to sleep.

She shook her again, a little harder this time.

"Jennie Kim, come on wake up, you need to get your stuff ready."

Jennie whined and turned her body towards her, then, without warning she hugged Jisoo tightly, her lips inches away from her neck.

Jisoo froze, she could feel the girl's steady heartbeat and her breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling near the base of her neck.

Her own heart on the other hand, was threatening to explode out of her chest and her stomach was doing these weird somersaults.

"Aah yes, Jennie likes to cuddle people in her sleep. It takes a little bit of effort to wake her up." Irene said, amused.

"Thanks for the tip." she said sarcastically as she heard Seulgi snicker.

She sighed and encircled her hands around the girl, shaking her gently once again.

"Mandu, come on, please wake up, you're a bit heavy you know, for a midget?"

It took Jisoo a few tries, till finally Jennie's eyes fluttered open.

It took for her a moment to realize where she was and what she was doing. She let go immediately when it dawned on her that she was hugging Jisoo.

Jisoo slowly exhaled the breath that she had been holding.

"S-sorry about that. I have a tendacy to latch on people when I am asleep." Jennie, told her, looking slightly embarrassed.

"It's fine, Irene did tell me about it. Anyway, get your things ready, we're about to head out soon." Jisoo told her as neutrally as possible.

"Oh, alright. Thanks." she said as she began fumbling with her stuff.

Jisoo turned to Irene and Seulgi who both gave her knowing looks.

Jisoo just decided to ignore them.

When they finally arrived, Miss Lee asked them to line up, the boys on the left and the girls to the right. They would be given room assignments and each of them will have one roomate.

Irene was assigned to the girls line. She gave them each a key with a corresponding number on it. When it was Jisoo's turn, she saw that her room number was labelled 316.

"You may head there Jisoo, I believe your room is on the third floor." Irene told her.

She nodded and headed over there.

When she finally arrived, she opened the door and saw the room was a bit spacious.

It had twin beds, one big wardrobe for their clothes, a flat screen tv and a small table and chair.

She put her bag on the bed near the window and jumped into it, feeling tired. She was still sleepy. She began to wonder who her roomate would be.

She hoped it would be Chaeng, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to happen.

With her luck she somehow knew who it would be. It always happened anyway.

The door opened and someone peeked inside and grinned at her.

Yep, she wasn't wrong. She had a feeling Irene had something to do with it this time.

Jennie went inside and put her bag on the other twin bed.

"Hey roomie!"

"It's you again."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Jennie pouted.

"It's because I want peace and relaxation."

"I have a comforting presence to anyone who comes across me."

"My mom taught me that if I have nothing good to say, I shouldn't say anything at all."

"Yaaah!" Jennie said as she threw one of her pillows at Jisoo who was laughing.

"I won't give this back, mandu."

"I'll take it back when you're not looking."

"Ha! I won't leave this room. I'll just stay here and play games or sleep."

"You're not going to the beach?"

"Now why would I do that"

"Because it's fun?"

Jisoo just grimaced.

"I don't like having fun in the water."

"Why's that?"

"I just...don't like the beach."

Jennie shrugged and took some stuff out of her bag.

"You will go to the beach and you will have fun."

"No way, you're not the boss of me."

"Yes, I am. I bet it's because you don't know how to swim."

Jisoo looked at her in disbelief.

"That's-it's not...you...so what if I can't?"

Jennie was laughing this time, it was as if she had hit the jackpot.

"You don't have to know how to swim to enjoy it."

"I don't wanna."

"Stop acting like a baby and get your stuff ready."

"Wha-says the even bigger baby!"

"I'll make you go."

"No amount of chocolate will convince me to step foot on that place."

Jennie just looked at her and smirked.

**A few moments later...**

Jisoo was pouting as she looked around the area.

That mandu had the audacity to call on Seulgi, Irene and Chaeyoung to make her change and go to the beach with them.

_They are such bullies! Except you Chaeyoung coz you were such a sweetie trying to convince me._

Seulgi was beside her and she kept laughing as she watched Jisoo grumble silently at the fact that someone was able to pull her outside of that room.

Both of them were wearing black rashguards with shorts, Jisoo having some purple trimmings while Seulgi's was orange.

"Jennie is so funny. I love how she plans things like this."

"That mandu is so annoying. I just wanted to enjoy my stay the way I planned."

"Awwe come on, don't be such a spoilsport and just enjoy your time here."

Jisoo just shrugged and decided to sit inside the small tent they had put-up to keep their stuff in.

"Where's your girlfriend and Jennie anyway?"

"Changing. They'll be here soon, don't miss your girl too much."

Jisoo just playfully punched her on the arm.

"You and Irene better stop that, Jennie and I are just friends."

Seulgi smirked.

"That's what they all say."

"It's not happening. Besides, the perks of being friends with Jennie means I get closer to my goal."

"You mean Chaeyoung?"

"Yup."

Seulgi looked thoughtful.

"You know, you never told me the reason why you had a crush on her in the first place."

"Did I have to?"

"Jisoo, I know you. You always overshare even if we didn't ask. So it's weird that you weren't as open with her."

Jisoo looked away.

"It's nothing important. I just had a crush on her that's all."

"Uh-huh."

"It's true!"

"Uh-huh."

Seulgi had a playful smile on her face.

"Jisoo, are you planning to take my girl away from me?" Irene asked, one eyebrow raised.

Both girls looked towards her direction.

Irene looked good in her two-piece purple bikini. Jisoo wasn't too surprised, she was one of the most attractive girls she has ever seen.

Her eyes roamed to the girl beside her and she swore her brain had short circuited.

Jennie was clad in a beige bikini with dark sunglasses on.

Her outfit showed off her curves in all the right places, and Jisoo had to admit that the girl was definitely hot.

Add that up to that damn gummy smile showing up on her face and it was perfect.

Too perfect.

Seulgi nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Just friends, huh?"

_Stupid Seulgi._


	29. I Don't Like Her Like That

Irene and Jennie were enjoying the ice cream that they had bought in one of the stands they had found on the beach.

Jennie especially was slurping hers happily as she was able to find her favorite ice cream flavor.

They had left Jisoo and Seulgi at the tent because the former refused to move and Seulgi was still trying to push her out of there.

Since they were both still arguing, they had decided to explore around and see what they could find.

They were sitting on the sand and observing the people around them.

Jennie was wondering where Chaeyoung and Lisa were. She had noticed they were acting weird the past few days, but had decided to not intervene.

Usually when the both of them were in a fight, they were able to resolve it quickly by themselves.

But Jennie felt this was different. She decided that if they continued being like this, she would need to confront one of them.

Irene had finally finished her popsicle and looked at Jennie.

"Sometimes I wonder why you really like milk ice cream."

Jennie tilted her head and continued eating her share.

"I dunno, it's just really delicious for me. Maybe because I love milk."

Irene smiled.

"I guess."

Irene seemed to be deep in thought about something.

"By the way, I was just curious about something."

"What about?" she asked, her mouth full of ice cream.

"Well, the thing between you and Jisoo, is there something going on?"

Jennie almost choked on her ice cream, then looked at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean if there is something going on? We're just friends pabo."

"Well, you've just barely known each other for a few days and you're sticking to her like glue. Very un-Jennie like behavior."

Jennie started getting flustered.

"W-well, you know, I enjoy her company. She's quite...interesting once you get to know her."

"Still, I've known you for awhile Jen, you just don't get that close to a person right away. Plus, weren't you scolding me about Seulgi and her group not too long ago?"

"I know! But I was wrong, so there! Besides, aren't you happy that I'm okay with them now?" Jennie said, not really comfortable as to where this conversation was going.

"Of course, I am, and I'm thankful that you were able to give them a chance. Still, I just wanted to know: do you like Jisoo?"

Jennie Kim held her breath.

_Did she like Jisoo?_

"I...I do like her, as a friend. She's cool and funny and interesting to talk to." she said, distracting herself by playing with the sand.

"You know what I mean by that, Jen."

She looked at Irene.

"I'm pretty sure I don't like her like that. You know I don't do relationships, Hyun."

Irene shrugged, "Well if you say so. By the way there she is. She finally went out of the tent, probably got bored. I wonder where Seul is?"

Jennie turned and saw Jisoo. She was talking to a girl clad in a very sexy bikini. The other girl was taller than her and kept laughing at something Jisoo was saying.

Somehow Jennie Kim felt annoyed. She watched as the girl slowly entered into Jisoo's personal space and kept touching her arms or shoulders everytime she laughed or spoke.

Her eyebrows were now meeting. Jisoo seemed to be enjoying the attention as well.

Her irritation grew as their conversation progressed until she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'll go talk to Jisoo. You coming?"

Irene had an amused expression on her face.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll sit here for a bit then find Seulgi afterwards."

"Okay."

Jennie walked towards them, Jisoo not noticing her presence at all.

The fact that Jisoo was so focused on the girl annoyed her even more for some reason.

As she got closer, she decided to pretend that she had tripped and had "accidentally" pushed the girl out of the way.

The girl had fallen down on the sand and Jennie feigned a shocked expression.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry! How clumsy of me, me and my two left feet. Are you alright?"

"Yeah-"

"I'm so glad. I'm so sorry again. Jis, let's go, I wanted to show you something." she said as she held Jisoo's wrist and tugged her out if there.

"But-" Jisoo tried to interrupt.

"No buts, Kim. Let's go."

She didn't notice Irene laughing in the distance as she led Jisoo somewhere.

"Jennie, where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere, or do you want to continue talking with skimpy-pants girl?"

"Who?"

"Nothing."

Jennie was leading her into the water.

"Jen..mandu...wait! Stop!"

"What?" she said as she turned to face her. She was glaring at her.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine." she said in a high-pitched voice.

Jennie was confused as well as to why she was so irritated.

"You're acting weird."

"I'm not. I just wanted to..." she said as she quickly tried to think of a reason why she dragged Jisoo way over here, "...you know...teach you how to swim."

"I'm fine, Princess."

"Come on, it will let you enjoy the beach more."

"It's okay. Really."

Jennie puffed her cheeks.

"Fine. Go back to whatever you were doing earlier." she said as she went in the water.

_What is wrong with me?_

Jisoo looked at her helplessly.

"Mandu.."

She ignored her.

Jisoo then decided to follow in and held on to her wrist.

"Hey, look at me."

Jennie did as she was told. She was still pouting.

"You are so weird." Jisoo laughed and then pinched both of her cheeks.

"Mandu, mandu, mandu. Why are you so grumpy, huh?"

Jennie felt her cheeks heat up. Jisoo was smiling at her, she realized whenever she did that, her lips formed into a heart.

They were so enticing to look at. She gulped as she turned her eyes away from them.

"I'm okay, and I'm not weird."

"Fine, so, you wanted to teach me how to swim?"

"You didn't want to."

"I'm here now, am I not?"

"Hmph."

Jisoo grinned at her mischeviously and then splashed water into her face.

Jennie looked at her in disbelief.

"You did not just..."

Jisoo shrugged and laughed at her shocked expression.

"I am so going to drown you here, Kim Jisoo!"

"Try me!"

"Arrgh! You are so annoying!"

She started splashing her face as well and they ended up in a heated splashing battle.

In the long run, Jisoo decided she had enough.

"Oh my God, I surrender! I surrender!" she shouted, laughing as she did.

Jennie stopped and looked at her with a victorious expression.

"You have no power here."

"You're right. My tomb shall stand here for all eternity. It shall read: 'Here lies Jisoo Kim, drowned by Jennie Kim through a splashing battle. May her valiant efforts be forever etched in memory'."

Jennie laughed.

"You are such a dork!"

"The cutest dork."

"Hey losers!" Seulgi called out. They looked at her.

"Pose for me will ya?" she said as she held her camera.

Both girls did as they were told and Seulgi was able to capture that moment forever.


	30. Don't Know What To Do

It was a clear and sunny day, which, in Chaeyoung's mind, was a great start to their beach trip.

She had gone on the bus together with Chanyeol and they had fun talking to each other. As she got to know him, she decided that he was alright in her book.

Once they arrived, she was able to settle in her room and had Yeri as her roomate. She didn't mind, the girl was fun to hangout with and also had a lot to talk about.

She was also called in by Jennie earlier to help her get Jisoo out of the room because apparently, she did not like going out into the beach. 

That was quite unheard of for her, but she accepted the fact that people can have their differences. 

In the end, Jisoo had finally relented and decided to go out with them.

She was glad that Jennie was getting to know new people, especially with the fact that she looked happier now. Being friends with Jisoo had a positive effect on her and Rosé observed that she was less cold towards people than usual.

She always had a feeling that Jisoo wasn't as bad as she turned out to be, and she was glad that she was right.

She told Jennie she wouldn't be joining them today since Chanyeol had invited her to come along with some of his friends, and she decided to accept.

After her confession with Lisa, things had gotten a bit awkward between them. It wasn't Lisa's fault or anything, she just didn't know how to deal with the aftermath.

They were still friends, but she guessed they both just needed a little bit of time to adjust to the situation. She also realized she wanted to befriend new people and widen her circle of friends, thus the reason she accepted Chanyeol's invitation.

She was determined to move on from Lisa, and she felt that the first step she needed to do was to try and live her life as much as she could.

Lisa would always be her best friend, and she will always be there for her, she just needed to get to know new people.

As she got ready, she decided to wear her orange sundress with black markings with her bikini underneath it in case she wanted to go ahead and swim.

She and Chanyeol had planned on meeting at the reception center, so once she felt she looked presentable enough, she went downstairs to meet him over there.

She was glad to see that he had already arrived. When he saw her, he smiled and gave her a soft whistle.

"Wow, you look really good, Chaeyoung!"

She smiled shyly, "Thank you! It's nothing much, really."

"No, no, I mean it. This look suits you. Hasn't anyone ever told you that you look attractive?"

She blushed slightly at the compliment, "Uhm, no, not really."

"That's too bad, it's something you should hear more often." he said, looking at her softly.

She just laughed, not really knowing what to say.

"Uhm..thanks." 

"Well then, let's get going."

"Okay!"

They were both talking animatedly until they reached Chanyeol's friends, namely Baekhyun and Sehun. 

Baekhyun was known as their class clown whereas Sehun was a little more stoic but was also one of the handsomest guys in their year. 

The four of them decided to take a stroll around the beach and find stuff they could eat since Chaeyoung felt a bit peckish.

They finally settled on a stand selling burgers and other food items.

As they waited for their orders to be cooked, Chaeyoung noticed that Lisa was hanging out nearby with Bambam and Jackson. 

They were just sitting on the sand and eating ice popsicles, seemingly engrossed with their conversation. 

Chaeyoung felt a bit of ache in her heart. As much as she wanted to do what she could with her own life, she did miss Lisa.

She missed how she made her laugh, how she annoyed her at times, their petty fights, how she was capable of cheering her up even when she wasn't in the mood. 

But she just needed to do this, once she moves on, everything will be back to normal. So instead of thinking about that, she decided to focus on having fun.

So that's what she did.

Her, Chanyeol and his friends went around doing stuff like playing beach volleyball with some people, getting their faces painted, swimming and biking around the resort.

She had a blast, that's for sure, but she just couldn't shake something off.

Wherever they went, Lisa and her other friends seemed to be nearby, doing their own thing.

At first, she chalked it up to just coincidence, but as time went on, she couldn't ignore the fact that it kept happening.

 _Why does she always do this_? She asked herself.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and decided to ask permission from the guys that she needed to retire early as she already felt tired.

Chanyeol had offered to walk her back, but she refused, stating to them that she needed to talk with Lisa on the way there. 

When they agreed, she walked over to where her best friend was.

Lisa had noticed her coming towards them, and instantly looked a bit nervous.

When she was near enough, she gave them the best smile she could muster.

"Hey guys!"

"Oh, hey Chaeyoung! What's up?" Bambam greeted.

"Heeey Chae!" Jackson said, waving at her.

"Hi Chaeyoung-ah." Lisa said uncertainly.

"Uhm, Bam, Jackson, would it be fine if I dragged my best friend to come along with me?"

"Oh no, not at all! Permission to drag the best friend anywhere is granted!"

"I second the motion!" Jackson stated, raising his hand.

"Thank you guys. Come on, Lisa." she said, as she held her hand and moved forward, tugging Lisa along with her.

They walked in silence until Chaeyoung found a secluded enough area and stopped there.

She then looked at her best friend, who seemed noticeably guilty. 

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Lisa. Explain."

"Chae...I was...I mean...I-" she stuttered. Chaeyoung's lips had formed into a thin line.

"Well?"

"Okay! Yes, I did follow you but I didn't want to disturb your fun with them." Lisa blurted out. She looked down on the sand and was playing with it with her foot.

"Why?"

"I-I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"So acting like a creepy stalker was the best way to go about it?"

Lisa pursed her lips. "No.."

"Lisa, are you this determined to push me away?"

Lisa looked up immediately and her eyes widened.

"No! I..no never! I would never want to push you away, Chaeng-ah!"

"Then can you at least just let me be, for once?"

Lisa sighed, "I just...missed you." she said, her head bowed down. "I don't know what to do without you."

Chaeyoung's heart felt so lost right now. But what can she do? She wanted to just get this over with but things were not that easy.

"You are so stupid sometimes, you know?"

Lisa nodded.

"I missed you too, dumbass."

Lisa looked up and smiled softly.

"I'm just, I'm just trying to get used to this."

"Me too, Lisa. But I need this, please, for us?"

Lisa's brows furrowed, "Okay, Chaeng-ah. I promise to stop being a creepy stalker."

Chaeyoung laughed a bit and brushed up her hair. She realized this was going to be tricker than she initially anticipated, but she was determimded to see it through.

"Thanks, Lisaya. I know it's hard right now but things will get back to normal alright? We just both need time."

"I understand."

"Okay. Well, I'll head back for now. I need some rest." she said as she turned around to leave, but to her surprise, Lisa held on to her hand and spun her around, holding her waist with her other hand.

They were both so close that Chaeyoung could feel Lisa's breath on her, their noses almost touching.

Lisa's eyes seemed to be a flurry of emotions which she couldn't read, then she noticed Lisa was slowly getting closer to her.

She couldn't move, her brain and her body was not working as she wanted it to.

Her eyes were now on Lisa's lips, and everything felt like it was going in slow-motion, her heart-rate now beating at an incredible speed.

_Wait, is she going to do what I think she's going to do?!_

She felt panicky, but it was too late to do anything, yet at the same time, her anticipation was mounting.

As Lisa got nearer, she felt the girl stop for a moment, smile, then kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Chaeyoung-ah." she whispered into her ear.

Then she let her go, and walked away from her.

Chaeyoung couldn't move. She was still quite stunned, she couldn't process what was going on.

Was Lisa about to kiss her? But why?

Maybe it was just her imagination. This was certainly not healthy for her heart.

 _What just happened_?


	31. Caught Red-Handed

**A/N Trigger Warning: In case some people might be sensitive about this topic. No worries, it doesn't deal with suicide or anything but more on abusive substances.**

*************************************************************

Lisa was walking aimlessly at the beach. She was upset at herself, especially when she realized she was letting her emotions control her decision-making again.

The sun had already set and the moon was beginning to show itself on the horizon, and the stars were getting clearer.

She felt really stupid, she should have just let Chaeyoung be, but she just had to be there.

Her best friend was right, she was acting like a creepy stalker. 

_You already talked about this to yourself, right Lisa? You already promised you wouldn't do stupid things._

She sighed. Yet here she was, continuing to do stupid things.

She threw a stone towards the water, then she watched as the ripples began to show up.

_Yeah, it's like everything you have done so far has a ripple effect._

She continued to walk around, trying to find her peace of mind. 

When she got to a certain area, she suddenly heard a muffled noise near one of the huts.

She could just have passed it off as nothing, but her curiousity got the better of her.

She slowly went behind the huts and tried to see what was up, then to her surprise, she saw Jisoo, talking with Baekhyun.

Actually more on threatening Baekhyun.

She hid herself behind one of the boxes she had found and tried to listen in to their conversation.

"I said I have nothing on me, Jis."

For a small girl, Lisa saw that Jisoo was quite strong. She heard that the girl had studied martial arts or something.

She had pushed Baekhyun back into the wall.

Jisoo looked pissed.

"Do not fucking lie to me, Baek. I know what goes on around here. Do I look like I'm stupid huh?" She said, her eyes blazing.

Baekhyun look at her nervously.

"L-look man, this is my only remaining stash, I used my last savings on it."

"Do I look like I care? Where is it?"

Baekhyun looked almost pleading.

"Come on, Jis. You know how it is, I promise the next time I'll give you a much bigger one, just not today. Please?"

"I am not playing games here, Baek. You know how it works, if any of us asks, you give. I've run out as well, so the priority here is me, not you. Or would you rather be in a world of pain?"

"N-no."

"Then, give me your stash."

Baekhyun looked like he really didn't have a choice, but he dove into his pockets anyway and gave something over to Jisoo.

Lisa tried to look at it closely, and then she gasped when she finally saw what it was.

It was a white, powdery substance inside a small, plastic packet.

 _Shit, drugs_.

Jisoo pocketed it and smirked, then patted Baekhyun on the chest.

"Good boy, thanks for your service. You may now leave."

Baekhyun quickly walked away from the scene and Jisoo inhaled slowly.

After seeing that, Lisa was angry. Very angry.

She heard bad things about them, but she never knew they were this terrible.

Plus Jennie was hanging out with filth such as this. She wasn't going to let this slide, not on her watch.

She got up to confront Jisoo. 

"Hey!"

Jisoo looked up and saw Lisa.

She furrowed her eyes in confusion.

"What do you want, Manoban?"

Lisa went near her, she was much taller than her, and although she may not have studied martial arts, she did have boxing lessons, aside from football. 

"I saw what happened. I heard things about you, but not to this extent. Plus bullying other people to sate your own addiction? That's just the lowest of the low!"

Jisoo seemed taken by surprise by what she said, but was able to regain her composure right away.

"So you decide to invade in my territory and go eavesdrop and shit? Do you think I'm scared of you?"

"No, but I am not scared of you either."

Jisoo smirked at her, "Well then, we'll see about that."

Lisa looked at her square in the eye and clenched her fists.

"Stop this nonsense with Jennie! I know you're just using her! It would be a boost to your reputation if you were known as the one who got the girl no one could ask out!"

Jisoo shrugged.

"Are you jealous with the attention she has given me, Manoban?"

"Just stay away from her or I will tell someone what I saw today!"

Jisoo's eyes went dark and she felt more dangerous than ever before. Lisa gulped silently, trying to hide the fact that she was sweating bullets.

"What? You're going to rat me out, punk? You think I am not capable of destroying you?" Jisoo said as she went near Lisa.

"Jennie is not some girl to be used as your plaything."

Jisoo laughed.

"Just try me, Manoban. Try me, I dare you. Speak one word of this, and trust me you will regret it. Who's going to believe you? You do not have proof, you only have your word against mine and even Baekhyun. Do you think he'll join forces with you? I'm sorry to say but he's a coward."

Lisa knew she was right. She was not going anywhere without proof.

"Just...just don't hurt Jennie."

"I do what I want, Manoban, so you can't tell me what I will and will not do. I will let you go for now, but if I hear that you so much as breathed a word of this to anyone, consider your life over. Might as well hand over applications to McDonalds while it's still early." she said, as she turned her back and walked away.

Lisa didn't realize she was almost holding her breath in and exhaled loudly.

What was she going to do? Jisoo was not the forgiving type. Plus she knew she meant what she had said.

She clenched her fists once again. If that was the case, she was going to fight for Jennie, even if her chances were slim to none.

She would finally confess to her, whether the timing was right or not.

**************************************************************

Jisoo looked tired as she met Seulgi at the back of the building where they were supposed to be sleeping.

She handed to her the packet that Baekhyun had given to her earlier.

She was still reeling from her encounter with Lisa. 

She knew the girl would take her threat seriously, so there was no need to involve the others with this. They could be too overprotective, plus Manoban was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"You okay, Soo?"

Jisoo nodded, "Yup, just tired. You guys forced me to do stuff awhile ago and I wasn't able to sleep properly."

"But you had a lot of fun?"

She smiled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Seulgi laughed, "See? I told you."

Jisoo shrugged, "Well, I'm just glad that Sooyoung got that info about Baekhyun correctly. Do we have any others we need to shake and show the fear of God in on them?"

"Nothing as of this time."

Jisoo nodded.

"Good. Get rid of this stuff like the rest of those that we have collected. School's clean...for now."


	32. Revelations

Jennie hated Mondays. 

Mondays meant that you had to go back to reality and deal with the unfinished crap you were too lazy to do last Friday.

It was the signal of the end of your fun weekend, the start of the daily grind and the day where you force your body to wake up just so you can do the whole routine all over again.

Yes, Jennie hated Mondays.

But for some reason, this particular Monday was different than the others. Even the people working at her house were surprised by her happy demeanor.

Her mom, who was usually too busy to give a damn about her, had curiously looked at her daughter while they were having breakfast.

Jennie was humming as she buttered her toast, swaying her head to the beat of her own music.

"You look particularly happy this morning. I assume your beach trip went well?" Her mom asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

Jennie looked at her, eyebrows raised. It was rare of them not to argue at the breakfast table, or anywhere for that matter.

"Hmm...I guess you could say that."

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself at least." 

"Thanks."

Her mom sighed, and put her cup on the table.

"Nini?"

"Hmm?"

"I know we don't always see eye to eye, and I know this...recent struggle that we are having as a family is also taking it's toll on you. I have been unfair to you, and I haven't been giving you the time that you need. I just wanted you to know that me and your father have spoken and I have decided to be the one to take custody of you. After everything, I realized how lacking I have been as a parent, and I would like if you can give me this chance to make it up to you? To start over as a family, even if it's just the two of us?"

Jennie was stunned that she had paused what she was doing and looked at her mother. She didn't realized that they had sat like that in silence for a few minutes now.

"Nini?"

That broke her trance.

"Uh, yes?"

"What do you think?"

Jennie was usually a prideful person. She had learned from her parents well, but today, she just didn't have the heart to refuse her mother.

"I think...yeah. I think we can try and start over, mom."

Her mother gave her the brightest smile she has seen in awhile. She got up and hugged Jennie.

"Thank you, Nini. I know I don't deserve it, but I promise to do what I can starting today." she said.

Jennie smiled back, she really did hope that this was going to be a positive change between the both of them.

"Okay, mom."

Her mother chuckled and gave her a knowing look.

"I better thank whoever that person is that caught your eye." 

"Huh, what?"

Her mom shook her head in an amused fashion.

"Nothing. Come on, finish your breakfast, or else you'll be late. I'll be the one driving you to school today."

**A few minutes later**

Jennie had arrived at school, and as usual, the campus was buzzing with students this early in the morning.

As she crossed the parking lot, she saw a familiar figure up ahead, talking to someone else. 

As she neared them, she realized that Jisoo was speaking with Bona, one of her year-level schoolmates from section D.

She was physically too close to her and had her hand was on Jisoo's shoulder like it was some sort of magnet.

This feeling of annoyance came up to her once again. She raised her eyebrow and walked over to them.

"Hey guys! Good morning, Jisoo! Bona!" she said as she put her arm around her friend and stealthily pushed away Bona's hand from Jisoo's shoulder.

She grinned at Bona who looked surprised to see her there.

"Midget. You're here again. You're like an annoying Koala, you know that?"

Jennie pouted. 

"Why do you always give me weird nicknames? I have a name you know! Also, once again, were the same height!"

"I prefer calling you other names. It makes you more unique."

"Then at least give me a cute or cool nickname."

Jisoo raised her brows then grinned at her.

"Alright. From now on, I hereby christen you, Jendeukie."

"Jendeukie???" Jennie said, shocked.

"Yes, because like I said, you're like an annoying Koala who likes to follow and stick around me. I wish I had brought some sort of repellant to keep you away."

"I'm not a pest."

"You are, Jendeukie. A clingy mandu pest."

Jennie huffed. They didn't notice Bona leave them awhile ago.

"Fine then, as long as I can also call you Chichu."

"No way."

"Yes way. I noticed you like wearing Pikachu shirts and your phone case is also Pikachu."

"Coincidence."

"I think not. Let's go or we'll be late, Chu!" she said as she held Jisoo by the arm and dragged her all the way to their room.

Later at lunch, after she had eaten her meal, she decided to spend some time in the library to do some research for her paper which was due next Tuesday.

She turned around the corner, and without warning, she accidentally bumped into Lisa, who held on to her to make sure she doesn't fall onto the ground.

"Lisa! Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."

Lisa smiled, "It's fine, Jen. But hey, I was actually looking for you. Are you busy? I just...needed to talk to you about something important."

Jennie guessed it could be about her ongoing cold war with Chaeyoung. Her paper could wait, she still had a lot of time anyway. Besides, her friend might need some advice.

"Not really. What did you want to talk about?"

"Uhm...is it alright if we talked around the bleachers? Nobody really hangs out there around this time. I'll tell you the details once we get there."

"Alright, sure thing."

They headed out there in silence. 

Finally, they arrived and settled down into one of the benches. 

Jennie noticed that Lisa looked particularly nervous. She was fidgeting with her hands and biting her lips every now and then.

"Alright Lisa, I'm here and I'm all ears. Tell me anything that you need me to know."

"Well...uhm...hehe...this is not going to be easy...but here I am...and here it goes."

Jennie watched as Lisa took a deep breath, held her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Jen, for some time now, I've been trying to find the right time and place to tell you this, but for some reason, something always comes up. But this time around, I realized, if I don't make a move now, someone might beat me to it without having me trying to do something about it, and I don't want to live this life regretting not ever doing this."

Jennie was a bit confused on what Lisa was trying to say, but she did not interrupt her.

"For quite some time now, I've had feelings for you Jennie, and I realized, I like you. Like, I really like you. It sucks because I've been trying to get you to notice me, but I can't seem to get your attention. Sometimes, I give some hints and you spurn my advances, and it can be frustrating. Even now, while telling you this, at the back of my mind, I'm thinking that yes, you'll reject me at the end of it. But like Chaeyoung told me one time, I'll never know if I didn't at least try."

Jennie could see the sincerity in her eyes, and smiled at her friend.

"So..before you do reject me, can you at least give me this chance to prove to you that I truly mean what I am saying? Perhaps a chance that if you try and open your heart to me, I can promise you that you won't regret it. Just give me this one chance, Jennie Kim, just one chance."

Jennie inhaled. She tightened the hold on Lisa's hand and looked into her eyes as well.

"Lisa, first of all, thank you for your honesty. I have never confessed to anyone, but just imagining doing it, it must be pretty scary, especially if you don't know if you'll get rejected or not."

Jennie gulped. This was it. The moment of truth.

"As much as I want to take you up on that offer Lisa, I can't. I can't because we both know I am not really the one person who you truly want to be with."

Lisa looked at her, surprised.

"What? What do you mean?"

Jennie smiled at her softly.

"I am not saying that you don't feel anything for me. But what I am saying is, you never looked at anybody, and I mean REALLY looked at anybody the way you have with her. She is always your priority in anything, the first one you think of no matter where or what she is doing. The way you get jealous of the people who try to get close to her can be pretty funny, but at the same time, annoying too. I don't know what your reasons are for running away from your feelings with her, but I hope in time, you will learn to face it. Because honestly, I think, you and Chaeyoung fit well together."

What Jennie said rendered Lisa speechless. She looked so dumbfounded that it took everything in her not to let out a laugh.

"What I need you to do now, is for once, be honest with yourself, and especially to Chaeyoung."

"I don't..."

"Lisa..."

"Jennie, I'm not...it's you I like. Maybe Jisoo had brainwashed you too much or something."

"Keep Jisoo out of this, Lis."

"She's bad news, Jen. Please stay away from her. You don't want to be caught up in her web of lies."

Jennie was getting frustrated.

"Look Lisa, I perfectly understand that Jisoo has a bad reputation, in fact I was pretty wary about her at first. But she has never given me any reason to question her goodness to me or to the other people surrounding her!"

"But-"

"Lisa, I'm warning you, drop it."

Lisa sighed.

"Okay."

"Look Lisa, I understand you're being protective. But what you need to do is to figure out your feelings. Because if you keep doing this, you'll end up pushing Chaeyoung away, and believe me, you'll regret that."

Lisa looked so lost and confused, Jennie pitied her, but she needed this. She needed to grow up.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go now, lunch period is almost over. Please think about what I said, Lis." Jennie told her, and started walking away.


	33. Reach Out To The Truth

Jisoo's phone had been buzzing all night. She sighed as she read the messages and got up, knowing that it was time to get to work.

Before she went out, she made sure all the stuff that she needed was with her. 

Once she was sure, she put her full face helmet on and drove into the night.

She finally arrived at the designated location. As she killed her engine, she saw four people walking towards her direction. She smirked at them.

"You're late."

"I was taking a nap, Byul." Jisoo told her as she strapped her helmet onto the side of her motorcycle.

"Well at least some of us have gotten their beauty sleep. I haven't slept a wink!"

"That's because of Solar." Momo told her.

"Shut up, Mo. Don't make up stories."

"I was there with you dumbass. You were like 'God, I can't sleep. What if she responds and I am not awake?' Geez."

"Hahahahaha! Oh my God, that's just sad, Byul." Sooyoung piped in.

"Ha ha. Well at least I have some progress, unlike you losers."

"Sorry, but I get all the guys and girls drooling after me so nah, I ain't jealous of you zombifying yourself just because of a girl." Sooyoung said and shrugged.

"What she said." Momo added.

"Kids, let's leave the argument about your non-existent relationships for now and focus on the task at hand." Seulgi told them.

"That was cruel, Seul." Moonbyul pouted.

Jisoo was looking at her friends, amused.

"Focus." Seulgi said as she nodded at Jisoo. They all went silent and looked at her.

Jisoo leaned her back onto her motorcycle and crossed her arms.

"So Sooyoung, what's the latest update?" Jisoo asked her.

"So far based on the information I have gathered, the dealer closest to our location will be selling tonight at the alley near Harrison's Café. There's minimal security, so we are in the clear of stealing away his goods."

Jisoo nodded.

"Anything else?" 

"I haven't heard them being paranoid of any attacks that might strike their dealers. Everything is quiet now, so it is the best time to make a move."

"Good. Alright, let's do this as per usual. Me and Seul will head the attack, Byul and Momo, the lookouts for any possible encounters with their guards. Sooyoung, stay here and ensure everyone gets back safely."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay then, let's go!" she said as she put on her Guy Fawkes mask and her black hoodie up along with the others with the exception of Sooyoung.

She and Seulgi went on their separate paths towards the dealer's location. Everything was quiet except for the occassional vehicle that zoomed in on the streets.

As they walked, Seulgi put her arm around her best friend and patted her on the head.

"So, everything seems to be going well with Jennie. When are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"About what really happened with the confession."

Jisoo was taken aback by that and she realized that she had completely forgotten about that disaster.

"Uhm...I'm working on it."

"Jis, just admit that you forgot and that you actually enjoy spending time with her."

"She's cool, I guess."

Seulgi stopped and looked at her.

"Dude, you have to tell her soon. I'm serious this time, because if you don't, you're gonna seriously fuck up whatever is going on between the two of you. Don't keep her hopes up, especially if you're really planning to finally do something about Chaeyoung."

Jisoo could tell that her best friend wasn't kidding around this time.

"Okay, I will. I'll find some time to tell her about what really happened."

"Good. You better, Soo. I know you're apprehensive of having her get angry at you, but she'll hate you more if she finds out just because you were too chickenshit to admit it."

They then continued to walk towards their target. 

Jisoo's mind was in turmoil right now. She knew Seulgi was right, she had to tell Jennie soon.

She was not looking forward to that encounter, but she had to do it. 

Like what was about to go down now.

Jisoo put her hand up in front of Seulgi as she saw the dealer standing around near one of the lamp posts. They hid themselves in the dark and tried to scope out the area first.

So far, everything was quiet.

In fact, it was too quiet in Jisoo's opinion.

She had a bad feeling about this.

But before she could air out her thoughts to Seulgi, the girl had already decided to stand up and start heading towards the guy.

_Shit. Okay, okay, we're going to be fine, you're just paranoid Jisoo. This is nothing._

She stood up and followed Seulgi. They put their heads down so the guy wouldn't see them wearing their masks.

When they were almost near him, the guy smiled then spoke up.

"Hey, new customers! You guys looking for a good time? I got lots of goods here that'll do the trick."

"Yeah, can you show me your wares?" Seulgi asked.

"Sure!" 

To Jisoo, everything just went too smoothly, the dealer wasn't even wary of them. 

Something's not right.

She was on her guard in case anything might happen. 

As soon as the dealer looked through his bag, Seulgi quickly went behind him and held his hands.

"Hey! What the fuck!"

Jisoo quickly landed a punch to his gut and then to the side of his face near the ear, making him lose conciousness. 

Jisoo took the knapsack and scanned it's contents. It seems like they hit the jackpot.

"I'll take it with me, you meet up with Byul and Momo and I'll head in another direction."

"You'll be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, let's move before anyone sees us."

"Got it." Seulgi quickly walked away and Jisoo did the same.

She was still feeling apprehensive, thus the reason why she asked Seulgi to split up with her.

Jisoo knew that if her gut feel was correct, they would go after her first since she had the bag.

She wore the knapsack and started briskly walking away to escape from the scene of the crime.

She froze when she heard a click, and then a voice nearby.

She immediately went towards the source of the sound and found someone sprawled on the ground, holding a camera. 

She held the person's arm and pulled them up.

When she finally saw their face, she silently cursed.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Manoban?"

Lisa was silently glaring at her. She had a black face mask on and a hoodie as well, but she still recognized the girl.

Jisoo could guess the reason why she was here, but she didn't have time to argue. It was too dangerous for them to stand around.

"Goddammit, let's go!" she hissed as she tried to pull the girl with her, but Lisa pulled back and stood her ground.

"No!"

"Manoban, listen to me. If we don't get out of here right now, we are going to be in big trouble. Do you understand? Now fucking stop being stubborn and let's move!"

"Too late for that."

Jisoo turned, and to her dismay, she saw at least 10 men surrounding them. Their "leader" was looking at her dangerously.

 _Fuck_.

She let go of Lisa and scanned her surroundings. She did train in martial arts, but she wasn't stupid.

She can't take on this many, especially if they were holding weapons. She wasn't the goddamn Batman!

The leader slowly walked towards them, both his arms raised to the side.

"You people have been giving us a lot of headaches for the past few months. So much of my money has been wasted and I was nearly killed because of you fuckers! I think it's time that we return the favor."

Sweat rolled off of Jisoo's forhead.

If she was going to die, then at least she'll die kicking ass.

Lisa was not moving, but it seems that she looked like she was ready to fight.

"Manoban, I need you to listen to me. This is my problem, and I don't want anything to happen to you because of it. So this is what we're going to do. I am going to distract them. As soon as I get their attention, I need you to run. Run away and don't look back."

"What? And leave you here? I may hate your guts, but I am not going to let you handle this alone. Not on my watch."

"We can't take them on, there's too many of them. Don't be stupid and throw away your life, you still have so much ahead of you."

"And what about you? Are you trying to play the hero and sacrifice your life for mine? I may be a lot of things, but I am not about to run and let YOU throw away your own life. We have a chance if it's the both of us against them. I can handle myself fine."

Jisoo inhaled, she didn't really want to involve Lisa in this, but the damn brat wouldn't listen to her.

For some reason it made her think of Jennie. What would she say if something happened to her? Would that smile of hers disappear again? She'd miss her laugh, that's for sure, aside from her always annoying her every chance she got.

Jennie would kill her if something happened to Lisa. She had to protect her, or the dumpling will annoy her even in the afterlife. Jisoo felt she was very capable of that.

Then Jisoo realized:

_Why am I thinking about Jennie right now?_

She suddenly snapped back to reality when she felt Lisa's back bump into her own. 

The thugs were getting closer. She then got herself ready and changed into a fighting stance.

This was it. It was now or never.

She slowly devised her strategy as she looked around, her goal was survivability, not just for her own life, but for Lisa's as well.

Time seemed to move slowly, she made sure her head was clear. It was important not to panic in these situations.

Jisoo knew, giving into it will kill her and Lisa instantly.

As they were about to attack, they suddenly heard a loud engine roar.

Jisoo looked towards that direction and saw Seulgi on her motorbike, swinging around a bat with one hand, and manuevering the vehicle towards them.

The thugs scattered quickly.

When she arrived in front of them, she immediately stopped and looked towards Jisoo.

"Hurry! Get on!" she screamed.

Without thinking too much about it, Jisoo grabbed Lisa and pushed her on the bike, then she got on it as well. 

Seulgi gave her the bat, and quickly twisted on the throttle.

They shot past the angry mob, with Jisoo swinging the bat around.

The thugs tried to chase them, but to no avail.

They were lucky that not one of them was carrying a gun.

When they finally arrived at their meeting place, Seulgi stopped her bike and both Jisoo and Lisa got off.

Seulgi stepped down and angrily took off her mask. She pushed Lisa, then held her by the collar.

"What the fuck were you doing here, punk? Huh? Were you trying to get Jisoo killed?!"

"Is that Manoban? The fuck?" Moonbyul exclaimed, sounding pretty pissed as well.

Jisoo knew she had to act fast, or Lisa was going to get beaten up by her friends.

She had taken off her mask as well and moved in front of Seulgi, then gently pushed her back.

"Seul, it's okay, it's not her fault."

"The fuck not her fault? What was she doing there?"

Momo was next to Lisa, who noticed the camera and ripped it out of her hand.

"And what is this?" Momo asked as she showed it to the others.

"What the hell?" Sooyoung said as she went near Momo and looked into it's contents.

Sooyoung's face went red with anger.

"She was photographing you guys! You little shit, I ought to kill you!" she shouted as she tried to get near Lisa, but Jisoo held her off.

"Let me at her, Jisoo! She deseves a good beating!" Sooyoung said.

"I second that, let's teach her lesson so she will understand who she's messing with!" Momo agreed.

All of them were glaring at Lisa, who glared back at them, her fists clenched.

She had to hand it to her, the kid had guts.

"Guys! Stop!" Jisoo said, her voice full of authority. 

All of them were taken by surprise and looked at Jisoo.

She calmly stood in front of Lisa, and looked at each of her friends in the eye.

"If you're going to do something to her, you will need to go through me first. If you don't want to do that, then I need you to listen."

"But Jis-"

"Byul. You have a choice. Pick one."

Moonbyul cursed, but she didn't say or do anything after that.

Seulgi crossed her arms.

"What is this about then, Soo?"

Jisoo put her hands on her hips, then started talking.

"Lisa had seen me at the beach when I was confiscating the drug packet from Baekhyun. I didn't tell you Seul because I knew you'd make a big deal out of it. We threatened each other, and I thought that was the end of it. What I didn't realize was the fact that she would go through all these lengths just to get evidence off of us."

"So she is certainly fucking with us." Momo said.

"It also wasn't her fault that we were spotted. I already had a feeling that something was not quite normal with the deal tonight, and I was right. Even if Lisa wasn't there, I would still have been in danger. I told her to run and save herself, but she stood her ground. She would not leave me to die alone."

"So that absolves her now?" Seulgi asked, getting irritated by the second.

"I didn't say that. However, we all know the reason for what is happening right now was because of a misunderstanding. Lisa is not aware of why we are here and what we are doing."

"What are you trying to say?" Seulgi asked.

"What I'm trying to say, Seul, is that I'll explain to her the real reason for all of this."

Seulgi shook her head in frustration.

"Jisoo, goddammit. Don't be stupid. How will you even know that will work? I don't trust her."

"Seul, you know I just don't decide with things like this on a whim. Let me handle this. I promise you we will be fine."

Her friends looked at each other, doubt was clouding in on their faces.

Jisoo sighed.

"All I ask of you is to trust me. I wouldn't do this if I wasn't certain of my decision."

Seulgi looked up then gave out a laugh.

"You always surprise me, Kim. Fine, I'll let you handle this piece of shit."

She then looked at Lisa and pointed at her.

"I'm warning you, if you decide to do anything stupid, I will make sure that you'll fucking regret it for the rest of your life."

"Do not attempt to cross us, I'll definitely find you in whatever hole you'll be hiding in." Moonbyul warned her.

"Sooyoung, give me her camera." Jisoo told her.

"No Jis, this is fucking evidence!"

"Give it. Come on."

"Just do it, Soo." Momo told her quietly.

Sooyoung sighed and threw it at Jisoo, who caught it.

"You better make it worth my while." Sooyoung informed Lisa with as much venom as she could muster.

"Thank you guys for your trust. I'll take it from here."

Seulgi nodded.

"Let's go. Let me know when you get home." she said to Jisoo.

"I will." 

She threw the knapsack towards Seulgi.

"Take care of this, will you?"

Her best friend nodded.

One by one, her friends left, and she and Lisa were finally alone.

She then looked at the younger girl.

"Let's go somewhere where we can talk. I know a good café we can go to."

Lisa looked at her, confusion written on her face.

"Why'd you save me from your friends?"

Jisoo looked at her and grimaced.

"Because I didn't want them to do anything stupid. Also, they're just not my friends. They're my family." she said, then turned to head off towards her motorcycle.

_And I owe it to Jennie too that you get home safely._


	34. Thicker Than Blood

**A/N: Trigger Warning for substance abuse.**

**We're also going to get a bit serious here, but no worries, we will return soon to our regular scheduled programming.** 😊

**************************************

Jisoo drove them towards her favorite café located at the east side of the city, which was far away from where they were earlier.

She loved this place as they had great coffee and they closed their doors at around 2AM. 

It was the perfect spot to just sit around and have idle conversations. 

But tonight, there was no room for that.

Tonight, she was going to share something so serious and personal to somebody she barely knew who most likey might dislike or even hate her.

She had no reason to, but then again, here she was.

Eversince she decided to show compassion to the dumpling on that rainy day, things like this seemed to happen too often.

Plus she had to admit, the reason she showed mercy on Lisa tonight was because she was Jennie's friend. 

She had known the mandu for a short time, but she had no idea why she had a hard time saying no to her.

Even if she wasn't here, she still couldn't do it. 

She felt frustrated. She honestly couldn't understand why she let someone enter into her life like that and held such power over her.

Jennie was an enigma she still had to solve, but for now, she needed to focus on something else.

She went to the counter and looked at Lisa.

"What would you like to order?"

Lisa looked at her, surprised.

"It's fine, I'll order a drink myself."

"No, I insist. Come on, what would you like? Coffee? Frap? Tea?"

Lisa seemed to hesitate, then decided to just go with the flow.

"Uhm...just one hot chocolate for me."

"Anything else?"

"That's all, thanks."

"Alright. One hot chocolate and one Iced Americano, please."

The barista took note of their orders as Jisoo gave him their payment. After a little while, he handed them their drinks.

Jisoo led Lisa to her favorite booth. They both sat down across from each other. 

Jisoo could feel the awkwardness in the air, she drummed her fingers as she looked at Lisa, who was started sipping her hot chocolate.

She got Lisa's camera and put it on the table. Then she pushed the object towards her.

"Here you go."

Lisa looked at it, then back at Jisoo, trying to decide if she was really serious or not.

"I'm sorry, I don't get it. Why are you returning something that has photographic evidence of your activities?" Lisa asked her.

Jisoo shrugged.

"It's my way of saying that I am giving my full trust to you. Once I have told you everything, it's up to you whether you decide to believe me or not."

Lisa furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's a huge risk."

"Oh, I know, I'm fully aware of that. But there's no other way to convince you otherwise."

Lisa looked warily at her camera, but then decided to take it.

"Why are you doing this?"

 _Because of Jennie_.

"Because I know you're a good kid, despite everything."

Lisa became silent. Then she looked out the window and exhaled.

"Alright, I'll bite. So, I wanted to ask, why are you and your group involved with drugs, and why do you need to steal stuff from other people?"

Jisoo looked at her and leaned forward.

"It's actually quite a long story, but to keep it simple, we are not involved with it. We do not use the stuff, but instead, dispose of it. The reason that we steal from people is to ensure no one in our school gets to use those substances."

Lisa looked at her, puzzled.

"But why? What for? I don't get why you need to risk your lives over something like this and I mean, can't the police take care of it themselves?"

Jisoo hesitated, and started fidgeting the cup that contained her coffee.

She was not used to talking about this to anyone, much less to a person who was almost a stranger to her.

But this was it, there was no turning back now.

"It's because of my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother. Unfortunately not all of us get to live picture perfect lives."

"What has your brother got to do with this?"

"Well, let's see. At a very young age, he was probably 12 at that time, he was already using drugs because my dad would shoot up heroine into his system everytime he tried to defend my mom and me from him. That was his "punishment". As time went by, he became addicted to it and experimented with other stronger and much more powerful substances. He was a good person, and me and my mom, we tried to help him stop, especially when my dad got arrested and jailed. But he was so deep into it, and believe me, he tried. Until one day, I don't know what he took, he almost overdosed. When he woke up, he wasn't the same anymore. He couldn't recognize us, and as time went by, he deteriorated, until he was merely a shell of his former self. Imagine the feeling of someone who is walking and breathing in front of you but is already dead. You see them and nothing changes, and everytime you do, a little part of you dies inside."

Lisa had frozen, and her mouth was open the entire time she was listening to her speak.

Jisoo's hands were shaking, but she made sure that Lisa didn't notice it. Reliving what happened always took a toll on her.

Finally, Lisa spoke.

"I'm...to be honest I don't know what to say. Saying sorry about what happened to him feels empty and insincere. I don't know what it would be like to be in your shoes, and I can't imagine the pain your family must have gone through. I just...I just hope that things have gotten better for you."

Jisoo actually appreciated what she had said. Throughout the years, people have been telling her that they were sorry about what happened to her family, as if their sorry could fix it. She knew they meant well, but still, like what Lisa said, it felt empty and insincere. 

It was actually refreshing for once to hear something different.

A smile cracked on her face.

"Thank you."

"So uhm...I guess your friends all know what had happened."

Jisoo sighed.

"They do. Seulgi and I have known each other for a long time now. We've been friends since we were in kindergarten, and were like two peas in a pod. Kids that were byproducts of dysfunctional families. We always had each others backs and she knew what was going on in my house and I was the same with hers. We met Moonbyul, Sooyoung and Momo during our elementary years. All three of them were bullied and harrassed by some of our classmates, and we had decided to step in. We all became friends and were always teased or looked down as that group of misfits. Momo was a crybaby, Sooyoung could barely speak, Moonbyul ate dirt, Seulgi liked to hug anyone randomly and I was the weird kid who sang made up songs and created new words out of thin air."

She smiled at the memory.

Lisa chuckled.

"To be honest it's hard imagining you guys like that."

"I wouldn't be surprised. All five of us grew up too soon. We realized at an early age that the world was harsh and an unforgiving place, but it never stopped us from living as much as we could. Being with each other helped, we were each others glue. My brother, he loved me and my friends dearly, and would always treat us to ice cream, go with us to amusement parks and play with us at the local park. He always reminded us that although things might be bleak, to never forget to be grateful of the little things. Because he said that those little things will always help keep us going, even at the darkest of times. I realized later on it was also his own way of coping. Even when he was high, he never hurt me or my mom, he would instead lock himself in his room until he was back to normal. My friends loved him as much as I did, so it was also a blow to them when they saw him in that state."

Lisa nodded in understanding. She looked somber.

"When that happened, I was in a bad place. I would randomly get angry at anybody who did the smallest mistakes. I wanted the world to hurt the same way as I did. My friends, they did what they could to be there for me, even if it was difficult. But even when they never left my side, I still felt so alone. My mom was also very devastated. She stopped talking to me or trying to see how I was. She locked herself for hours in her room and would randomly cry. I wouldn't fault her for that because she has been through so much with my dad. My mom was like my brother, kind and always thought about others, but what happened to him destroyed her. Fortunately, she's much better now, but she has never been the same again."

Lisa inhaled deeply and took another sip from her cup. 

"I got much better too, thanks to my friends. They have been incredible support systems to both me and my mom. Things had almost gotten back to normal but one day, I saw a kid from our school snort something in one of the alleyways as I was heading home. My vision blurred and I basically beat and threatened him to stop doing what he was doing, to stop destroying his life. Fortunately, Seulgi was walking the same way as I was and stopped me, and that kid ran off. I didn't realize that I was crying while doing that. Seulgi squatted in front of me and asked me what I wanted to do. I told her, I didn't want to see people around me get destroyed by drugs, and that's where it all began."

"Seulgi told the others and we began planning what to do. Honestly, none of us were troublemakers, but we needed a cover to make it seem plausible that we were the type to do things like steal drugs from people. We began making noise by vandalizing some properties, bullying the bullies, scare tactics, those types of things, until we built a reputation in the school that we were the kids to look out for. It started with scaring people to confess if they used, but that rarely got us anywhere. Sooyoung, the kid who used to barely speak, grew into someone who could convince anyone in their sleep. She decided to pretend to buy drugs and get to know some of the dealers, purposefully getting info about students in our school who used. That's where we would bully them into giving us their product, pretending that we used too. Later on, we planned something much bigger, and decided to hit some of the dealers who sold near our areas. It took a lot of planning, but it worked. We never did it too often. Maybe once in every two months, so they wouldn't be able to pick up a pattern. It worked for a time, but I guess now, they are on to us. We did try to get the police to help us at first but it was a dead end. At the end of the day, all we had was each other. A bunch of misfits whose bond was thicker than blood."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Since our freshman year."

"Okay."

Lisa stopped, she seemed to be thinking deeply. Jisoo was nervous, because she had finally opened up to someone outside of her circle about the truth. 

She let herself be vulnerable, and she was now at the mercy of whatever Lisa's decision was.

Lisa finally looked at her again.

"One more question, and I need you to answer me honestly."

"I've been honest enough, but go ahead."

"Do you like Jennie Kim?"

Jisoo was not prepared for that. She looked at Lisa, and at the same time she asked herself the same question. Because she knew that although she and Jennie had become friends, there was something different about their dynamic, and she couldn't escape that fact.

"Well, truthfully, the answer is, I don't know. I do like talking with her and being with her, but I am not sure if I like her in that sense."

"So you're not using her or anything?"

"Now why would I do that? If I hook up with a girl, I make it clear that I am not looking for anything serious. I'm sure you do the same, you may be annoying, but I can tell you are not an asshole. Right now, I am not trying to hook up with Jennie."

Lisa seemed satisfied with her answer.

"Alright, honestly, everything you told me seems to be quite mind-boggling and my mind is still reeling from it. But I also understand why you're doing this."

"I just do what I need to do."

"Also, I know this must have been hard for you, telling me all of this. I am sorry if I have been quite a nuisance to you and blaming you for things you didn't do."

"It's fine. I would have been the same if I was in your shoes. So, does this mean you believe me?"

Lisa smirked, and got her camera. Then she showed Jisoo that she was deleting all the pictures she had taken of them that night.

"This is my answer."

Jisoo smiled. This kid really had guts.

"Thank you for that."

"No problem."

Then Lisa put up her hand in front of Jisoo.

"Truce?"

Jisoo grinned and shook the younger girl's hand.

"Truce."


	35. Couldn't Catch A Break

Jennie was bored.

It was a Friday night and here she was, stuck inside her house and she already had tried messaging her friends.

Lisa said she couldn't as she was going out of town with her parents early tomorrow morning.

Chaeng said she already had plans.

Irene was out dating Seulgi. She swears that her best friend and her girlfriend were now practically connected at the hip.

She was happy for them though so she was not really one to complain.

She also tried asking Jisoo. Actually she was the first one she had contacted, but she told her she had some important matters to take care of.

She's not gonna lie, she was definitely disappointed, but Jisoo had her own life.

To be honest she was surprised that she was getting too attached to her. Irene was right, it had never happened before.

Yet she can't deny the fact that she was intruiged by the older girl. Somehow, whenever she was with her, she felt secure, and there was also a sense of familiarity she couldn't quite place. As if she was someone she had known for a long time.

Her phone beeped and she quickly read the message, hoping Jisoo had changed her mind, but was quickly disappointed.

She threw it back on her bed.

It was just Kai, asking her if she wanted to come over to his house as he was hosting a party.

Yeah, she wanted to go out, but she didn't want to hang out with people she wasn't that close to either.

Jisoo and her weren't, but she was an exception.

She sighed. What the heck did that girl do to her? She was constanly on her mind, and she always wanted to see her. 

They had started messaging each other and she found her interesting to talk to. She was surprised to learn that she was a Potterhead and loved to read books, then warned her not to tell anybody or suffer the pain of death.

As if she could. But she respected her privacy and never told a soul about it.

She also discovered she played Overwatch and Animal Crossing, two games she had become quite addicted to.

They did a Quick Match one time and Jisoo was amazing as Hanzo. They played another and she dared Jisoo to go as a healer, which she accepted.

Their team got wiped out a lot and Jisoo had to endure the trash talk by some of their teammates. Jisoo just laughed it off and told them she didn't care, then simply informed them that she will not be healing any of them as thanks for their behavior. She only constantly healed Jennie anyway. They lost badly, but Jennie still enjoyed it and was laughing her head off the whole time Jisoo was trolling everyone else.

Jennie smiled at he memory. She pouted, she wanted to have an explanation on what the heck she was feeling. Why she was like this towards the girl.

Then, she had an idea.

 _Wait, Google always has answers_!

She then got her phone and went inside her browser. She clicked on Google.com and typed:

**What does it mean when I want to keep seeing someone?**

She waited a few seconds for the results to load. When they finally did, she immediately clicked on the first page.

It read:

**It means you're into them. In other words, you have a crush or are infatuated with them.**

**You constantly want them to keep you company, and their presence makes you feel comfortable and safe.**

She was stunned.

She didn't realize that the grip on her phone had loosened until it finally fell flat on her face.

"Motherf-! Ouch!" she shouted as she held her face.

That hurt.

But despite that, she was still quite shocked about what she had discovered.

No wonder Irene had been pestering her about it.

This was not good.

_Oh my God. I have a big fat crush on Kim Jisoo!_

She sat up, her mouth was wide open. She had not seen this coming.

She racked her brains trying to think about how it all began. 

The hill?

_No._

When she offered to win the race for her? 

_No, not either_.

Then, as if a light bulb had flickered on top her head, she snapped her fingers.

 _It was that damn confession_!

It planted the seed, and here she was, beginning to pine for her.

_Nooo! I can't have a crush on her! She's stubborn! Arrogant! Always has a lot of girls around her and she's obviously a playgirl! No, you cannot have that beautiful heart-shaped demon as your crush!_

She was at a loss for words. She had never had a crush before, so she had no idea that this was it.

She needed to clear her head.

She decided that she'll just head out to one of the diners nearby.

She had a hankering for an avocado burger anyway, which they served, and a hot drink.

She got herself ready. 

When she was finally done and had decided dressing up casually, she started heading out.

The diner was just a 15-minute walk from her home. It was still around 8pm, so the streets were quite busy, and there was no reason for her to feel unsafe.

Her thoughts were still buzzing, she still couldn't wrap her head around it.

Finally arriving at her destination, she quickly opened the doors and was immediately invaded by the aroma of delicious food. She felt her stomach grumble, and she decided to pick a booth and sat down. 

When the waitress took her order, she picked up her phone and tried to see which games she could play while waiting for her food to be cooked. 

She wished she had brought her Nintendo Switch along, but since she was already here, she decided to make the best out of it. A distraction was what she needed after all.

As she scanned her phone menu, she suddenly heard a familiar laughter ring out through the establishment.

 _Wait, was that Chaeng_?

She looked around and that's when she saw her. 

The blonde looked gorgeous in a simple white shirt and blue jeans. 

She was laughing out loud at the person who was sitting from across her. 

She glanced at who it could be and immediately froze. 

She would recognize that black leather jacket from anywhere.

Yup, it was none other than Jisoo.

She was definitely surprised.

Chaeng, well aside from Lisa, was the last person on her mind who she would think about hanging out with her.

But there they were, having fun, as if they were the only two people around.

A wave of anger and annoyance suddenly hit her.

Didn't they tell her they were "busy"? Why not just tell her straight up that they were going to hang out together?

She didn't understand why they needed to keep it a secret. Weren't they her friends?

She realized she was starting to think irrationally, but everytime they laughed, she couldn't help herself but get even more irritated at them. 

Jisoo looked all too happy being with another girl. 

_Stop it!_

She closed her eyes then breathed in, she was fine. 

When she opened them once again, she saw Jisoo holding Chaeng's hand, as if inspecting something. 

That was it!

She asked the waiter to have her food to go and paid for it.

When the waiter handed it to her, she immediately sent a message to Jisoo.

Jennie waited.

She watched as Jisoo noticed her phone buzz and read her message. She saw as Jisoo's eyebrows furrowed and then started looking around the establishment.

Finally, she saw her and their eyes locked. Jennie glared at her, then immediately got up and went out.

"Jendeukie, wait!" 

She didn't turn around.

She guessed this was a good time to go and hit up a party.

**************************************

Chaeyoung was thankful to Jisoo.

She had decided earlier that she wanted to go out by her lonesome and enjoy her me time.

She had the whole afternoon by herself, and was able to do some of the things she had always wanted.

She was able to bike around near the river, enjoy the sights, and watched the sun set. 

When Jennie messaged her, she still wanted her alone time and let her know she already had other plans set.

It helped get her mood back in full swing and she learned to appreciate what it was like to do things by yourself.

When she finally decided to head back, she felt renewed and energized. She did not regret a single moment that she spent this day for herself.

While riding her bike, she wasn't aware that a major screw inside of it was turning loose. As she rounded a bend, the screw finally fell off and she had a hard time controlling her bike.

She tried to get her balance back, but to no avail, and was dangerously heading out of the bike lane and towards the road.

As she worked hard to get back on track, she almost crashed into a motorcycle.

Thankfully, she had swerved herself back to the bike lane safely and finally lost all control and skidded towards the pavement, falling off of her ride.

The motorcycle had stopped and she saw the rider of the vehicle walk angrily towards her.

She couldn't blame her, she almost caused an accident to happen after all.

"Hey you! What the hell was that? Are you trying to kill yourself? You do know what you did was fucking dangerous right? I swear to G-"

The rider stopped when Chaeng looked up at them, tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I suddenly lost control and I don't know why."

"Chaeng?" the muffled voice said. The rider was still wearing a full-face helmet.

"You know me?"

The rider took off her helmet and revealed herself to be Jisoo.

She looked concerned as she knelt down to inspect if she was okay.

"It's me. Sorry, I was just...I almost had a heart attack back there, but I'm glad you're safe. Are you injured or anything?"

"No." she said then started crying. More from relief than anything.

Jisoo seemed flustered and it looked like she was about to panic.

"Uhmm...you know, it's really okay! I'm not mad anymore! See? I'm smiling! Hehe! I'm fine! We're fine!"

She then held up a peace sign.

Chaeng couldn't help herself but laugh at the girl's antics.

"I'm okay, Jisoo. I was just relieved that's all." She said, as she wiped her tears and forced herself to stop crying.

Jisoo seemed to calm down.

"Cool! That's good. Good! So uh...you said you lost control?"

"Uh-huh."

"Would you mind if I checked your bike?"

"I don't mind."

"Alright."

Jisoo then began inspecting her bike and noticed immediately that there was a missing piece.

"No wonder. An important part got accidentally removed, so that's why you lost control. But no worries, I know Momo is nearby, her Uncle owns a bike shop and she can have it fixed for you. I can call her right now so she can get it and maybe I can...uhm..take you home?"

Rosé sniffed.

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you, Jisoo."

"No worries! Calling Momo now!"

A few minutes later, Momo came along and checked on the bike as well.

She then talked to Jisoo and let Chaeyoung know that she can have her bike back by tomorrow.

She felt relieved.

Once Momo left, Jisoo gave her an extra helmet.

"Well...just tell me your address so I can get you back home safely."

"Alright, but I am getting kind of hungry. Would you mind if we went to the Lucky 7 diner? It's just nearby and it's my treat for all the hassle I have given you today."

"Yeah, certainly! But uhm, you don't have to treat me, it's fine! Really."

"No Jisoo, I insist. It's my way of thanking you."

Jisoo scratched the back of her head.

"Alright, if you say so. You're not afraid of motorcycles, are you?"

"Not really, my dad used to own one and I know how to drive a scooter."

Jisoo grinned.

"Great! Let's go!"

When they got to the diner, they took a seat and got their orders immediately.

At first, they were both silent.

Chaeng didn't really know her that well yet, so she wasn't quite sure where to start.

But, she decided to break the ice.

"Thanks, once again, for helping me have my bike fixed up."

"Oh, no problem. It was the least I could do after yelling at you."

Chaeng laughed.

"I almost caused an accident. I would probably be yelling too if I were you."

"You, yell? Naaah."

"Hey! I know how to get angry too!"

"I hardly believe that. Jennie maybe, she'd be like a short, angry dumpling, but not you."

Chaeng laughed harder.

"Did you just call Jennie a dumpling?"

"Yes, I mean look at her cheeks! They become even more visible when she gets grumpy, like this!"

And she blows up her cheeks.

Chaeyoung couldn't help herself but laugh even more.

Jisoo was a crackhead after all.

Funny enough, as time ticked by, Jisoo's conversation revolved mainly around Jennie.

Not that she minded. It was actually cute and endearing.

They kept laughing about it and Chaeng had a small smile creeping up on her face.

It was obvious to her that Jisoo liked Jennie, a lot. But it seems the older girl hasn't noticed it yet.

Did she look this happy too whenever she talked about Lisa?

As she listened to Jisoo, she lifted her hand up her chin and that's when Jisoo's expression changed.

"Hey! You have a big wound on your hand!"

"Huh?"

Jisoo took her hand immediately and inspected it. It was then that she started feeling the sting.

"It doesn't look too deep. You better go wash it just in case." 

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's just a gash. Nothing to worry about. Wait, my phone's buzzing. I'll check it if that's fine?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Jisoo then got her phone and checked her message. That's when she saw that her expression had suddenly become serious. Jisoo looked up and started checking around the area, as if searching for someone. 

Finally it seems she saw who she was looking for and the color drained out of her face.

"Jen.."

 _Wait, what_?

Chaeyoung's head immediately snapped towards the direction Jisoo was looking at and saw Jennie walk out of the diner.

For some reason, she understood right away what was happening.

"Jisoo, go!"

She said as the girl seemed to have been stuck on her seat.

"R-right!"

She got up and ran.

"Jendeukie, wait!"

Chaeyoung got up and placed the money on the table.

She walked briskly outside and saw Jisoo, looking left and right.

"Dammit! That midget moves fast!"

"Jisoo, what happened?"

Jisoo gulped.

"She thought I was lying to her about why I couldn't go out with her tonight."

She fixed her hair and inhaled deeply.

This was going to be a problem.


	36. The Things I Hate About You

Jisoo was stressed.

She finally had her chance to hang out with Chaeyoung and they had fun talking to each other too.

It was a meeting of destiny, of stars colliding, of a love story waiting to happen!

Well, they did almost collide, and thank God it never happened, or their love story would end in tragedy.

But they survived, and that was the important thing!

Fate was finally smiling down upon her.

But despite this happy development, something else was bothering her.

She noticed lately that her thoughts always drifted back to Jennie. It was like the mandu decided to cling inside of her brain as well.

While talking to Chaeng, she was thinking about what she was doing. If she should message her and maybe ask her to hang out later after their talk with Chaeyoung.

But then, without warning, the mandu had messaged her out of nowhere. 

When she viewed it, she was taken by surprise. She had not expected this to happen at all.

It read:

**I don't mind you hanging out with my friends, it's totally fine. What's not fine is you lying to me about it when you can just be honest with me. Are you enjoying your time with Chaeyoung now?**

Once she finished reading the message, she knew at once that Jennie was inside the diner.

When she had finally spotted the girl and locked gazes with her, she could see the look of pain and betrayal in her eyes.

At that moment, even though she knew she didn't do anything wrong, the fact that she was the cause of that somehow made her feel guilty.

The truth was, she was going to visit her brother today, but when she had an almost accident earlier on the road, she decided it would be fine to check up on him tomorrow and make sure Chae was sent home safely.

She normally went there around Friday, Saturday or Sunday, so it wasn't really a sudden change of schedule.

She had informed Jennie earlier that she had other important stuff to do, and now this happened. 

Jennie had thought she had lied to her.

She sat there, frozen until Chaeng broke her trance.

"Jisoo, go!" she says urgently.

"R-right!"

She stood up immediately and ran after her.

"Jendeukie, wait!"

Jennie had disappeared out the door without a second glance, and once Jisoo was outside, she didn't know which way she went.

Chaeng caught up to her a few seconds later.

"Dammit, that midget moves fast!"

"Jisoo, what happened?"

She swallowed the lump that was starting to form in her throat.

"She thought I was lying to her about why I couldn't go out with her tonight."

Chaeng started to look as stressed as her.

"That means there's a possibility that she's thinking I lied to her too."

"What?"

Chaeyoung sighed. "She also asked me earlier if I wanted to hang out and I told her I had other plans. We need to find her right away so we can explain to her what had happened."

Just great. She definitely did not want Jennie thinking that they were trying to hide something from her.

She immediately went to her motorcycle and handed Chaeng her extra helmet.

"Come on, let's go find her. Any ideas where she might be?"

Chaeng thought about it.

"We can try her house first, it's not too far from here."

"Got it."

Jisoo revved her engine as Chaeng got on. She quickly turned around and headed for Jennie's house.

"You know where it is?"

"Yup."

"Alright."

Jisoo focused herself on the road. Worrying about Jennie and what she was thinking was not safe, but it was still bothering her at the back of her mind.

When they finally got there, Chaeng had rang the doorbell and asked one of their housekeepers if Jennie was around. 

She told them that Jennie was out and she still hadn't come back from her walk.

Jisoo cursed silently.

"Any other ideas?"

Chae nodded. 

They roamed around the city trying to find where she went.

They also tried to reach her cell, but she wasn't answering.

Jisoo had sent her several messages, trying to explain what had happened, but she figured the mandu was ignoring the both of them.

It was getting late and she was starting to worry. She was by herself and they had no idea where to find her.

Jisoo was getting frustrated. She didn't notice that she was driving a little bit faster than usual, she just wanted to find Jennie.

Chaeng had tapped her on the shoulder.

"Jisoo, you're going too fast. Let's stop for a bit, okay?" she says calmly.

"Oh shit, sorry Chaeng." she said as she slowed down and tried to find a parking spot. 

When they got off, Jisoo started pacing back and forth while trying to reach Jennie's cell.

Chaeyoung was silently observing her as she got the "subscriber could not be reached" message tone again.

She silently cursed at her luck.

Chaeyoung smiled at her.

"Hey, don't worry. I am sure she's safe wherever she is. Come on, sit down for a bit, you look like you need a break. I'll go get us something to drink, alright?"

Jisoo nodded. Chaeyoung then went inside the 7/11 nearby.

She sat down on the edge of the pavement and stared at her phone.

There was still no word from Jennie. 

She didn't know how many missed calls she'd made.

At this point, she didn't care if the girl was mad, she just wanted to make sure that she was safe. It had already been almost two hours and still no word from her.

Maybe they could swing by her house again. She could probably be home by now.

Well, she hoped anyway.

Chaeng finally got back and handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate. She thanked her as Chaeng sat down beside her and sipped her own cup.

"You know, someone once told me that a cup of hot chocolate would always help lift your mood. So, I hope she wasn't messing around when she decided to tell me this big secret of hers." Chaeyoung told her.

Jisoo looked at her and smiled a bit. Somehow, she had an idea who that person was.

"Yeah, I hope she's right." she says as she took a sip from her own cup.

The heat warmed her body up and it did help her calm down bit.

She guessed Lisa was bound to be right about some things.

"It's nice that you care a lot about Jennie. She has been dealing with some things lately, and it has been awhile since I've seen her really happy."

Jisoo was reminded of the day that Jennie was crying helplessly under the rain.

She never asked about it, and they never had talked about serious things.

Jisoo shrugged.

"I really had no choice in the matter. She somehow bulldozed herself into my life and now here we are."

Chaeyoung giggled.

"The thing is, Jennie isn't the type of person to get close to someone that fast. So trust me when I say, you've also somehow bulldozed into her life too." She says as she sipped her hot chocolate once again.

Jisoo was surprised by this. She didn't know how to feel about that.

Chaeyoung was a good friend of Jennie after all and knew her well, she was not the type to make up stories either.

Why was she so affected by this?

She felt her phone ring and she immediately got it and answered it right away without looking at who was calling.

"Jendeukie!"

She heard the person laugh on the other line.

" _That sounds cute and all Jis, but I am not this Jendeukie person you're referring to."_

She exhaled, she felt disappointed that it wasn't Jennie who was calling her back.

"Byul?"

 _"The one and only_!"

"What's up? Why are you calling?"

_"Well, I need you to head over here at Kai's house. He's having a party and all."_

"Sorry Byul, but I am in no mood to party."

_"Would you change your mind if I told you that this Jendeukie person is here right now? Actually Solar is watching over her, she's had waaay too many drinks."_

"What? She's there?

_"That's what I said. Wait a sec."_

She heard some muffled talking on the other line and a bit of arguing. Finally, Moonbyul got back to her.

_"Well uhm, it seems Solar lost your girl, she's slippery that one. You better get here right away, Soo. I'm kinda worried about her."_

"I'll be there."

She dropped the call and looked at Chaeyoung.

"That was Moonbyul. She just told me that Jennie is at Kai's house and apparently she's drunk. We need to get there quick."

"Oh my God."

She immediately got up and threw her cup in the trash. 

She gave the other helmet to Chaeng who gave her Kai's address.

They then sped up over there into the night.

Once they arrived, they were greeted with the loud thumping of party music emanating from Kai's house. It seems the guy was born rich too.

They headed inside the gate.

Once they were finally inside the house itself, they were met with a ton of people who were getting rowdy as the night progressed.

Jisoo tried to find their way inside and thankfully, she was able to spot Moonbyul right away.

"Byul!"

She turned around and grinned widely at Jisoo, it was clear that she was already quite tipsy.

"Jis! My God, I am so glad you're here! Oh, hi Chaeyoung! Didn't know you were with my fine, fine friend here." She said as she winked at Jisoo.

"Uhm, hi too." Chaeyoung answered shyly.

"Where's Jennie?" Jisoo asked.

Moonbyul scratched her head.

"Well, me and Solar are still trying to find her. We don't know where she went off to."

"Maybe we can split up and try and see where she might be? You and Solar can go that way and me and Jisoo can find her over there." Chaeyoung suggested.

Moonbyul pointed a finger at her.

"Good thinking! No wonder Jisoo li-mmfp!"

Jisoo's eyes widenened as she covered Moonbyul's mouth and pushed her towards the other direction.

"Okaaaay, let's focus and try to find Jennie. Let's meet up here afterwards."

Moonbyul grinned again and gave her two thumbs up.

"I'll make sure she's safe!" she yelled at Jisoo and headed off to try and find the girl while dancing to the beat of the music.

Jisoo sighed, that was a close call.

She looked at Chaeng and they both decided to start and find Jennie too.

They had to go through a mass of bodies as they searched the house. Jisoo hoped that nobody was taking advantage of her, she needed to find her right away.

Somewhere near the space where people were dancing, Jisoo noticed someone familiar.

As she nodded to Chaeng, they walked towards that direction when suddenly, someone bumped into Chaeng hard and she accidentally fell into Jisoo's arms. 

They both looked at each other and Jisoo swallowed hard. The girl was definitely gorgeous.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice speak up.

"Closer. Even closer, that's way too far for you, Chu."

She let go of Chaeng immediately and looked into the blazing cat eyes of the owner of the voice.

Jennie Kim was standing in front of them, holding a bottle of whiskey. She smirked at them.

"Jendeukie."

"Don't you call me that."

She then walked out of the scene, and Jisoo tried to chase her. 

To Jisoo's dismay, she couldn't find the girl once again. 

Moonbyul was right, she was indeed slippery.

**************************************

Jennie was angry.

More at herself than anyone else.

She was so frustrated. She didn't want this but here she was, feeling so damn hurt at how both her friends looked together in each other's arms.

She drank the bottle she was holding. She wanted to forget these feelings, she wanted them to disappear.

If anything, Jennie felt they were more trouble than they were worth. She didn't ask for this.

But looking into Jisoo's eyes made her go through a flurry of emotions all at once.

Why was she here anyway? Probably to party with Chaeng.

Her vision was getting blurry. She didn't give a damn, she wanted to get shitfaced drunk and enjoy her night and then figure out how to get rid of these stupid emotions.

She was already starting to stumble around until a pair of strong arms caught her when she almost fell down. She looked up and saw the worried face of Kai.

"Hey Jen, you okay?"

Jennie grinned at him.

"Of course! Lit party by the way. Wooooo!" she said as she raised the bottle she was holding.

Kai smiled and pried the bottle off of her hands.

"I think you've had too much to drink."

Jennie pouted.

"Noooo, I think I need more." she said, and started giggling.

"Nope, you've had enough."

"Whatever, mom." she said then slumped her head into his chest. Her world was spinning.

"Come on, I'll let you rest for a bit until you've sobered up enough to head home.

"But I wanna have more fun." she whined.

"You will, but let's take a break for now, okay?"

"You're a party pooper."

Suddenly, she felt someone hold her arm and pull her gently towards their direction. She squinted and saw a pair of heart-shaped lips. For some reason, it made her smile.

"I'll take over from here, Kai." she heard the person say.

"You sure about that?" Kai asked, sounding a little aggressive.

"Yes Kai, she's with us." she heard another voice speak up.

"Alright. Please take care of her."

"We will."

She slumped her head once again into the new person's chest. A familiar scent invaded her nostrils.

"Hmmm...you smell nice." she said while smiling, hugging the person as she did.

"Come on Jendeukie, I'll take you home." 

She frowned.

"But only Jichu calls me Jendeukie, and Jichu is a liar."

"I'm sure Jichu has her reasons."

"I saw her with my own eyes, she could have told me, why didn't she tell me. Stupid Jichu."

"You can tell me all about Jichu later, but for now let's get you home, okay?"

"Okay. But you know, that Jichu. I hate her. I hate that she lied to me. I hate how she's vain and arrogant and how she makes me laugh with her silly jokes. She's so stubborn you know and she teases me a lot. She always calls me mandu when I am not a mandu, then calls me midget when we're the same height! She made me ride her scary motorcycle and laughed when I would close my eyes!"

"Okay..."

"But most of all, you know what I hate about Jichu?"

"What?"

"That even if she is all these things, I hate the fact that I still like her very much."

Then, without warning, her world suddenly turned dark.


	37. Daisy

Jisoo was now looking at the sleeping form of Jennie Kim.

Earlier at Kai's house, Jennie had suddenly passed out in Jisoo's arms after she had confessed some things to her. Though Jennie wasn't aware that it was actually Jisoo she had told these things to.

It made her even more confused, the fact that Jennie felt this way towards her.

She smiled as she heard Jennie snore lightly. 

Chaeng had been panicking a bit when the girl had suddenly blacked out and told Jisoo it would be a bad idea to take her home in this state.

Unfortunately, since Chaeng's parents were kinda strict, she had no choice but to bring Jennie home with her since her mom wasn't the type to ask her a lot of questions.

She had to leave her motorcycle at Kai's as it was not safe for Jennie to travel on it when she was this drunk. So Jisoo had to take an Uber instead.

She had to carry the drunk girl who, unfortunately, vomitted on her twice, and on her favorite shirt too!

She had to clean her up when they arrived at her bedroom, even letting her borrow her clothes so she had something clean to wear.

And yes, she had to endure changing her too. 

She was sure Jennie was not going to be happy when she awakens and finds out where she was. She was still mad at her and Jisoo wasn't able to explain to her yet about what happened.

But Jisoo didn't care about that right now, she was just relieved that Jennie was safe.

She remembered finding her earlier, slumped into Kai's chest, obviously drunk as hell. Although it looked like the guy wasn't doing anything wrong, Jisoo had felt a surge of anger. She immediately went towards them and pulled Jennie out of his hands while glaring at him.

Kai was definitely going to argue with her if not for Chaeng, so he let it go. 

Then of course Jennie's drunken speech about hating her, but not really.

The girl was driving her crazy, but it always ended up here, with the both of them together, it almost felt like it was deliberate.

She looked at the girl again and gave her a close-lipped smile.

"You hate me huh? Yet here I am, ending up always taking care if you. You're trouble, Jendeukie, the kind I can't seem to say no to."

Since Jennie was fast asleep on her bed, she decided to go ahead and take the couch. She made sure she was tucked-in first, then tried to get one of her pillows when suddenly, Jennie rolled in towards her and hugged one of her arms tightly.

It caught Jisoo by surprise then she remembered that this girl was a clingy baby when asleep.

"Aish Jendeukie! Let go! I need my sleep too!" she complained as she tried to unlatch the mandu's grip out of her, but it was no good.

"Jendeukie..." she whined. 

The mandu was just smiling and sleeping soundly.

"You're enjoying this huh? I bet you're doing this for revenge. Aish, what to do."

She attempted a few times on trying to make Jennie let go without waking her up but to no avail.

She sighed, defeated. She had no choice but to sleep on the same bed.

She then decided to just lay down and make herself comfortable, while keeping as much distance from her as she could.

But of course, Jennie decided to roll in further into her and hug her even more.

Jisoo stiffened. This was not going as planned.

She turned her head at the sleeping girl and her breath hitched.

Their faces were closer than she had anticipated, and by God was she beautiful.

Her heart rate sped up and she didn't notice that she was already staring at her.

She looked so serene, almost angelic in her sleep. Her expression was relaxed, as if nothing in the world could harm her.

Her eyes scanned her face until they finally landed on her lips. 

_What would it be like to kiss those lips?_

Jisoo snapped back to reality as soon as those thoughts swam into her head. She quickly looked away and swallowed nervously.

_Jisoo focus! You can't think these kinds of things with her, you can't. You know you can't._

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was nothing, it was just that Jennie was a beautiful girl so it's not difficult to feel some sort of attraction towards her.

 _But her confession_?

It was merely Jennie confirming she liked her company, that is all. 

She told herself not to read too much into it.

Jennie didn't do these things. 

Jennie didn't do crushes or relationships.

She just valued their friendship, that's all.

 _So why do I feel so disappointed_?

She bit her lip and let her mind focus on other things. She did not need this right now. 

She'll try to sort this out later on, for now she needed rest.

She felt her eyes getting heavier as her body finally took it's toll. 

After a few minutes, sleep had finally taken over her.

**************************************

Jennie Kim woke up with a start. She shut her eyes tightly as she felt a headache suddenly come shooting up at her skull like jackhammer.

She winced as she held her head, still a bit dizzy from all the shenenigans she had done earlier.

It suddenly dawned on her that she was lying on someone's bed. She immediately sat up in panic and winced again as she felt her headache hammer at her brain mercilessly.

"Fuck."

She slowly opened her eyes and let her vision adjust to the darkness of the room.

Thankfully, the room had a mini light turned on, so it wasn't too dark, but then, as she looked around, she knew without a doubt that this was not her room.

She looked at herself and was thankful that she wasn't naked. But she also discovered she was wearing someone else's clothes! Where were her clothes?

She looked at the bed and realized she had someone beside her, but the person's back was turned towards her.

 _Did something happen last night?!_

She couldn't remember. The last thing she recalled was Jisoo holding onto Chaeyoung and her taking a long swig at that bottle of whiskey.

She huffed at the thought, then realized how utterly pathetic it was to go drinking just because she got jealous of the both of them and also coz she wanted to run away from her feelings.

 _Pathetic_.

Now she was not sure where she was and what had transpired. Was she kidnapped? Did they have...

Suddenly, the other person grunted and turned their face towards her.

Jennie froze.

It was Jisoo.

_Oh God, I hope I didn't do anything stupid with her._

She was fast asleep but it seemed she had a troubled expression on her face.

Jennie's hearbeat quickened. She needed to get out of here.

She needed to get away from her.

She was about to stand up when she heard Jisoo whimper. She looked at her and saw her beginning to sweat, her face contorted into an expression of both fear and confusion.

Jennie didn't know what to do.

Her whimper got louder and she started crying.

This was the first time she had seen Jisoo scared. She wondered what she was dreaming about and it pained her so much seeing her like this.

She took a deep breath and tried to wake her.

She was still mad but she didn't want to see her like this, so helpless and vulnerable.

"Jichu...chu wake up. Hey, you're just having a nightmare." she says, trying to shake her awake.

She did this for a few minutes but to no avail. Jisoo was now drenched in sweat.

Jennie was at a loss. She didn't know what to do to help her calm down.

She went to her and held her close and tried to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Hey, hey Chu, it's me, Jennie. I'm here alright? I'm just here. Don't be scared, I won't let you go until you're okay, alright? I promise, I'm just here." she whispered to her.

She repeated it again and again while hugging her until it seemed that her nightmare had subsided.

She wiped Jisoo's tears away as her face began to calm down.

"That's right, it's okay. I'm just here, Chu, I'm right beside you."

Finally, she felt her breathe in a regular pattern, and saw that she now had a peaceful expression on her face.

She smiled and exhaled a sigh of relief. 

She didn't know what had happened, but she was glad she had helped her through it. 

She watched her sleep and then fixed some of the hair out of her face while gazing at her softly.

"What are these things you are hiding from everyone else?" she whispered.

It was then she knew that these feelings were not going away anytime soon.

She felt so strongly about wanting to protect her, even if she didn't know what she was going to protect Jisoo from.

She wanted to know her even more, to know what was truly inside her mind.

She was hit and she was hit hard.

If Cupid were real she'd find him and feed him his bow and arrow for doing this to her.

But she didn't have a choice.

I guess what they said was true, you really can't choose who you fall for.

She sighed again as she looked at the sleeping girl beside her.

She realized she wasn't mad at her anymore. Kim Jisoo was gonna be the death of her.

She softly kissed her on the cheek and winced again as she felt another wave of her headache surge through her brain.

She lied down and snuggled into her. 

She decided she was going to handle this in the morning.

She let herself drift off to sleep as she felt Jisoo's steady rhythm next to her.

**************************************

Jennie woke up again, this time to the heat of the sunlight on her face.

She groaned as she felt her head throb, her headache had not disappeared.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! It's almost noon!"

Jennie whined and put the pillow on her face.

She felt Jisoo sit on the bed.

"Jendeukie, come on. You need to eat. I also got some water and aspirin for you."

Jennie removed the pillow from her face and glared at her.

"Why are you here and where am I?"

"You're in my house."

"You kidnapped me?!"

"I kinda had to, you were really drunk and you blacked out. Chaeng told me that it was not wise to bring you home like that and her parents were kinda strict so I had no choice but to bring you over here."

Jennie pouted, for some reason she got really annoyed when Jisoo mentioned Chaeng's name that she threw the pillow into her face.

"I'm still mad at you!"

Jisoo laughed as she caught the pillow.

Jennie glared at her even more.

"What's so funny?"

"Your cheeks always puff up when you're angry. Have you seen a kitten get mad? You're as scary as one."

"Shut up!" she said as she crossed her arms and huffed. "You could have told me about your date with Chaeyoung. I wouldn't have minded."

Yeah right, as if. Who are you kidding?

"I wasn't on a date with her."

Jennie looked at her. She sounded sincere.

"Not from where I was looking at."

Jisoo smiled.

"Actually I had almost run over Chaeng because her bike somehow had a loose part and had suddenly swerved into my lane. Thankfully she was able to gain a bit of control and was able to avoid an accident. After that I helped her out and we got a bite to eat and that's where you saw us hanging out."

Jennie raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds kinda made up."

"I swear I'm not lying. Ask Chaeng and she'll back me up. If you can't believe me, then don't tell me you won't believe in her either?"

Jisoo was right, Chaeng was not the type of person who made up stories.

But she believed her anyway even without that. 

Jisoo suddenly held her hand and looked her in the eyes.

She had stiffened and nervously swallowed as she looked back into thise warm brown orbs that threatened to swallow her entire existence.

"Jendeuk, I'm sorry."

_I really hate you, you know that?_

"It's fine, I believe you." she said as she quickly let go of her hands.

"So, you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Jisoo grinned.

"So easy, Jendeuk."

She gasped as she got the pillow and slapped her arm several times with it, Jisoo laughing hysterically as she did.

"Yaaah! You're such a jerk!"

"Doesn't matter, I'm still your favorite!"

"You're not!"

Jisoo got up.

"Am too!" 

Jennie threw the pillow at her.

"Jerk!"

"Mandu!"

"Hmf!"

"Hahahaha! Cutie mandu."

Jennie felt herself blush furiously as she tried to turn away. She instead got the aspirin and drank the water.

"Thanks for this but you're still a jerk."

"Whatever. I'll wash up first." Jisoo said as she entered her bathroom and closed the door.

Jennie looked around and realized how pink Jisoo's room was. She also had several Pikachu stuff, posters of the band TXVQ, a PC, tons of books and other items you wouldn't think a delinquint of their school would have.

It was as if she was the exact opposite, which she probably was.

As her eyes roamed around the room, something caught her eye on Jisoo's table. Something familiar.

She got up and went near it, her heart racing. 

When she finally was in front of it, she picked up the item that caught her eye.

It was a daisy pin. It was similar to the one her grandma gave her a long time ago before she passed away.

A thought came to her mind.

 _ **Flashback**_ :

_"Grandma, can you still be brave if you're scared?"_

_Her grandma looked down at her and smiled._

_"Why yes dear, of course. Why do you ask?"_

_"My mom said that she's afraid that she and dad will still keep on fighting. But she had to be brave because she loves me and him at the same time. My friend told me that if you're scared, you're a coward, not brave. So I was confused."_

_"Come here, I'll show you something."_

_Jennie went near her._

_"What is it grandma?"_

_She produced a daisy pin, and then showed it to her._

_"This my dear is a daisy. Not a lot of people prefer it to be honest, but do you know it symbolizes courage?"_

_Jennie's eyes widen._

_"It does?"_

_"Yes. Now listen carefully dear, and I want you to remember this well. Courage is not when you are faced with something and you don't feel fear. It is when you feel fear but you face it anyway. Do you understand?"_

_Jennie thought about it and nodded._

_"I think I do grandma."_

_"Good. Now, I want you to keep it. It's my lucky charm and it has protected me for a long time. Also, the daisy signifies true love, so you know I am always with you, no matter what."_

_Jennie smiled widely and hugged her tightly._

_"Thanks grandma! I will cherish it always!"_

_**End of flashback** _

Jennie was dumbfounded. Why did Jisoo have this. Unless...

Jisoo had finished washing up in the bathroom. She looked at Jennie, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hey Jendeuk, you okay? It seems like you've seen a ghost."

Jennie forced a grin.

"Uh yeah! I'm fine. I just came across this and I thought it was nice. Where'd you...uhm...buy this?"

Jisoo took the daisy pin and smiled serenely.

"Oh this? Actually it's been with me for quite sometime. A kid I had met a long time ago gave me this."

Jennie swallowed.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I met her when I was having some stuff to deal with and she gave this to me. I remember her telling me it was a lucky charm and would help protect me. She told me something that I will never forget as well."

Jennie was afraid to ask the question but she did anyway.

"What did she tell you?"

"She said: Courage is not when you are faced with something and you don't feel fear. It is when you feel fear but you face it anyway."

Jennie was silent.

"Anyway, I just met her and played with her for just how many days. I never saw her again but this always reminds me of what she told me."

Jennie inhaled deeply and smiled at Jisoo.

"That's nice. Hey, you know what, my mother will be very worried by now and I really need to go."

"Don't you want to eat first?"

"No, I'll...I'll just eat at home. Thanks Chu!" she said as she gathered her stuff and ran out.

"Jen, wait!"

Jennie didn't look back as she went down and outside of the house, walking away as fast as she could.

She now realized why she was so attracted to Jisoo.

Because Jisoo was the first person and last person she ever had a crush on.


	38. Love Is

Lisa was moping around her house on a Sunday night.

Sundays were usually reserved for family days, but she and Chaeng always had met up after dinner just to go get some ice cream at their favorite diner. There, they would spend their time talking until one of them got sleepy.

This was already the second week that they haven't been able to meet up and Lisa was getting frustrated.

She had been playing Just Dance on her Playstation 4, but even that didn't seem to lift up her spirits.

She slumped down on her beanbag and stared at her phone, which had been Chaeng-free for a few days now.

She sighed.

She wanted so bad to message her and to ask her if she wanted to go out, but she also wanted to respect Chaeng's decision of having some time for herself.

She knew she had fucked up several times already and she didn't want to add another point to her long list of mistakes.

I'm useless. She berated herself.

Trust Lisa Manoban to sabotage their relationship in ways she can only imagine.

She fiddled with her phone and started browsing through her gallery, finally stopping at a video that they had taken a few months ago. 

It was during the time that she was having a sleepover at Chaeng's house. They were both so bored that they decided to dance inside her bathroom to different songs while filming it, both of them pretending that it was some sort of music video.

She opened it and pressed play.

As she watched it, a smile began to form on her lips as she reminisced. She remembered how sore her sides had been that day after laughing so much. 

Things had really changed between the both of them in the course of a few days. She wondered if they would ever get back to normal.

She trusted Chaeng to let things be in the end.

She didn't trust herself.

A knock on her door had interrupted her train of thoughts.

She glanced at it as it began to slightly open. She then saw her mother's head pop in, wearing a concerned expression on her face.

"Lisa, aren't you heading out with Chaeyoung tonight?"

Lisa shrugged.

"No, not tonight mom."

"Last week you didn't go out too. Is something wrong? Have you two been fighting?"

"No, not really."

Her mom decided to come in and close the door behind her. She sat in front of Lisa and looked her in the eye.

"Honey, I can sense that you've not been okay for the past few days. At first I tried to ignore it, since I know you and Chaeng patch things up quickly. However, this is the longest fight that you've both been in. You know I don't usually bother you with things but this concerns me because you've been mopey and tempermental lately. Would you mind telling your mother what's bothering you?"

Lisa bit her lip. She knew she could trust her mom, she was not shy with talking to her and asking for advice. In fact, her mother had been fully supportive of her when she came out as a lesbian. There was no talk about her being the only child and her marrying a real guy. Her mother just told her she wanted her to be happy, and being truly herself was part of that.

She's really lucky to have an awesome mom. 

Right now her problem was that she didn't know how to break this information to her, she was at a loss.

"We didn't really fight. It's kinda...complicated."

Her mom eyed her.

"Complicated in what way?"

"Well, let's just say I have been a tad bit too overprotective of her?" she says sheepishly.

Her mom raised an eyebrow at her.

"Lisa..."

She tossed her arms in exasperation.

"Yes mom, I know. I am an idiot."

Her mom sighed.

Anything else I need to know?"

Lisa began thinking.

"Well...she also confessed that she liked me, and I...kinda rejected her."

Lisa's mom rolled her eyes.

Her mom. Rolling her eyes at her like some sort of teenager.

"You really are an idiot. Are you sure you're my daughter?" 

"Mom! I'm being serious here!"

"Alright, alright. Geez, my own daughter can't take a joke. So let's see. First of all, I want to know, why are you being overprotective of her?"

"Well, for starters, you know how naive she is mom. I just don't trust that other people won't take advantage of her."

"So you're basically cockblocking anyone who tries to make a move on her?"

"Uhm..kinda?"

Her mom looked at her sternly.

"You think what you're doing is correct Lalisa? Don't you trust your best friend enough?"

"I do trust her mom, it's the other people that I don't." she says, pouting.

"Lisa, have you actually thought about what you're doing?" 

"I just want to make sure she's protected."

Lisa's mother facepalmed and sighed.

"Honey, let me ask you this. What happens to water if you try to forcefully clasp it with one or both your hands?"

Lisa was puzzled, but answered anyway.

"Of course you can't hold it, it's water so nothing would remain in your hand."

"Good. Now, what if you cup the water with both hands?"

"Some of the water will filter out, but there's a small amount that will remain."

Her mom smiled.

"Okay, now Honey, let's think of Chaeng as water. She flows by herself and has her own freedom, that's how people are, we do not want to be tied down to things we didn't agree to. Right now, you're that person trying to grasp that water with both her hands. Everytime you do it, you get frustrated, you don't understand why it's not working. At the same time, Chaeng is also avoiding what you're doing. Like water, if you continue doing this, you'll lose her, eventually. You can't grasp a person's freedom forcefully like that. Now, if you instead hold them gently with an open palm, cupping them lovingly with both your hands, even if you know they still go their own way, they will stay, because you've given them your trust. Your acceptance. You can never hold a person no matter how idealistic it may sound in your head."

Lisa was stunned to silence. Her mom was right, she could not control Chaeng's choices and decisions in life.

She was her own person.

But she was worried about one thing.

"But what if she gets hurt?"

"Then she learns. It's how we grow up and survive in this reality. You cannot protect her from that, Lisa. In fact, even if you love someone so much, there is no guarantee that you won't hurt them. I love you more than anything, but I am not blind to the fact that I may have caused you pain somewhere along the line. But what is important is how we both deal with it, and we become better people for it. Besides, if that happens, aren't you there to help her pick up the pieces?"

"Yeah."

Her mom looked at her skeptically.

"Honey, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Like what mom?"

Her mom took a deep breath and looked at her squarely in the eyes.

"How about doing the first step and admitting to me that you actually like Chaeng?"

Lisa looked at her shocked.

"N-no I don't. I like Jennie."

"And how's that going for you?"

Lisa looked down sadly. 

"She rejected me not too long ago." she mumbled.

"Really? Yet I don't hear or see you moping around about her."

"That's not true!"

"Lisa, I'm your mother, I know you inside and out. You might fool other people, but you're not fooling me. Why are you so scared to admit the truth?"

Lisa was acting like a goldfish. She couldn't get the words right out of her mouth.

Her mother held her hands gently.

"What is it that you're so scared of, Honey?"

Lisa slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"I'm scared of losing her because of me."

Her mom nodded in understanding.

"Why, what is it about you that makes you think you'll lose her if you admitted to her the truth?"

"She's...she's so amazing in so many ways. She's kind-hearted, generous to a fault, she'll make you laugh even if she didn't mean to. She has so much patience and she always sees the good in people. While me, I'm...this. A mess. I can't seem to do anything right. I'm scared that if I admitted to her the truth, someday I might be the one to hurt her enough to lose her. Nothing lasts forever, especially with relationships. Being friends...is the safest bet."

Her mom squeezed her hands gently.

"Yet despite of being "you", she confessed to you."

Lisa smiled sadly.

"I...I didn't really expect that to happen."

"But it did. You should not sell yourself so short, Lisa. There is so much good in you that you don't realize. It's what makes people drawn to you. Besides, you are only human, we are all flawed in some ways, but that doesn't mean you are a bad person. You just made the wrong choices. Also, what makes you think that Chaeng hasn't accepted you for who you are?"

"I don't really know what she sees in me."

"Believe me, she does. Love is not just about the perfect moments, or the fleeting feelings of what they call the "spark". It's when someone continues to choose you, and keeps choosing you despite your flaws. As long as it's not something that's entirely toxic to their well-being, if at the end of the day they are still there, then trust me Lisa, she gives a damn about you more than anyone else. Even if you say you're an idiot. That just means you're her idiot. You don't think I get exasperated at your father? I do! But we're still here, imperfect, but perfectly happy."

Lisa thought about what her mom said, then breathed in heavily.

"Mom, I'm really scared."

"It's okay to be scared, Honey. You can be shaking to the core, but that's love. It is about taking risks, it's a gamble. If all your life you're going to let your fears dictate you, you're going to be stuck with what ifs. Cockblocking every person who tries to win her over isn't going to last forever. Being jealous but not doing anything about it will only push her away further. You can't dictate her choices, and that includes her choice of loving you. So yes, you're scared, but that's alright. What's not alright is not facing them."

Lisa smiled at her mom. Trust her to drill these things into her.

"God, I'm such a hopeless case."

"You're not, baby. You're just learning, and growing up. It's okay, it does not make you less of a person, especially in Chaeyoung's eyes."

Lisa now had a determined look in her eyes.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"Anything for my baby girl! Now, if you don't go ahead and do something about this, I am disowning you and not giving you your inheritance! Chaeyoung is such a wonderful catch, and here you are, being a sissy!"

"Mom!" she whined.

"What? I'm right! Who rejects their crushes confession? You are such an idiot Lalisa Panpriya Manoban! Maybe you're adopted, I should give you back and get a lesbian daughter with a backbone!"

"Aargh! Alright, alright, yes! I am coward!"

Her mom smirked.

"I'm glad you realize that."

They looked at each other and laughed heartily.

Finally they both stopped, and Lisa looked at her mother and grinned.

"Yes mom, I'll definitely go get her. But first, I need to do something."

"And what is that my dear?"

"I need to fix myself first. I can't keep grasping the water with my hands, I need to learn how to cup it, because that's what you do with the people you love."

Her mom smiled at her lovingly.

"That's my girl."


	39. Rude Awakening

Chaeyoung tapped her pencil on the piece of paper she had been staring at for a few minutes now. She wasn't sure what she wanted to draw, but she needed to finish it as soon as possible so she could beat the looming deadline for their school's publication.

Chaeyoung was the designated artist for their school's paper, and she needed to submit the editorial cartoon assigned to her for their publication's next issue.

She decided to doodle on it for a bit to get her creative juices working. She was already given a topic, yet she was still unable to come up with something concrete.

As she continued to mindlessly sketch on her pad, her thoughts drifted away and she found herself once again thinking about Lisa.

As if she could really get her out of her head anyway.

A week and a half had already passed but she noticed a lot changes from her best friend.

She surprised her early one morning by initiating the conversation and apologizing, gifting her with her favorite snacks afterwards. 

She was extra sweet and more mindful of what she says and does, and whenever other people wanted to hang out with her, Lisa let her be without so much as a grumble.

What surprised her more than anything was the fact that she actually tried to make friends with Chanyeol and even Jisoo.

Jisoo and Lisa had somehow quickly adapted to one other and were becoming quite noisy whenever they had lunch in the cafeteria. 

The funny thing was, they both had the same sense of humor and even had a bottle balancing contest one time. 

She noticed that she was also slowly getting along with Jisoo's friends.

Chaeng was not going to pretend that she wasn't shocked at what was happening.

Lisa even told her that she already confessed to Jennie and was rejected. 

When Chaeng asked her if she was okay, Lisa just shrugged and laughed about the whole thing, saying it was fine and that there's nothing to worry about.

Chaeyoung almost asked Lisa who she was and what she had done to her best friend.

Not that it wasn't a good thing, it was. She just didn't know why this was happening. 

Lisa was of course still the same old noisy girl and the prankster ball of sunshine that people came to know and love, but there was also something different about her.

It was as if she was more sure of herself.

That didn't help with matters on how Chaeng was dealing with moving on with her feelings towards her.

The fact that Lisa was doing all of this made her fall for her even harder, and she was at a loss on what to do, so she just decided to let it be for now.

Maybe in time, it will go away.

She hoped it would. After all, unrequited feelings were not really healthy.

She sighed and then stopped to look at her drawing. 

Her eyes widened in surprise, then she groaned as she looked at it. She never expected that she would unconciously draw her best friend.

In her sketch, Lisa was grinning widely at her, eyes disappearing, as if nothing in negative in the world could get through to her.

She knew getting over Lisa was going to be a difficult task, what she didn't expect at this point was that it would be next to impossible.

She started fixing her things, she couldn't concentrate, if she can't do her work in the library, might as well finish it later at home where she can relax and just let things flow.

As she started putting some of her things inside her bag, she felt warm hands covering both her eyes. She felt a shiver course through her body as she heard the person whisper in her ear:

"Guess who?"

She held the person's hands and gently pulled them away from her face.

"You could always normally say hi to me, you know, Lisaya." she said as she faced the grinning girl.

Chaeyoung noticed how close their proximity was. She swallowed as she tried to move a bit further from her.

"I wanted to surprise you " Lisa said nonchalantly. "Besides, I was looking for you because I wanted us to go home together. I mean, you're going home, right?"

"Yeah, I was. I was just trying to get some work done here but I can't for the life of me finish the editorial I'm supposed to make."

"Aww...is my Chipmunk having a hard time?" Lisa says cutely as she squished Chaeyoung's cheeks which she felt made her go as red as a tomato.

"Aish, Lalisa!"

Lisa just laughed.

"Come on, I'll treat you to some snacks outside before you head home. It should help clear your mind." Lisa said as she grabbed Chaeyoung's hand and intertwined it with hers, pulling her along as they headed outside the library.

Chaeyoung definitely wanted to spend some time with Lisa, but she knew it was a bad idea. She still had a lot of feelings for her and she was starting to get confused by Lisa's actions.

Perhaps she was just trying to act like nothing happened.

Plus, Lisa holding her hand like this was making her brain go haywire.

"Lisa...Lisa wait."

Lisa turned and looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"Hmm?"

"Uhm I...I-"

"Chaeyoung!"

Both of them turned around to the source of the sound. 

She saw Chanyeol jogging towards their direction.

He stopped right in front of them and smiled.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi." they both said in unison. Lisa was still holding her hand.

"Yeah...uhm. Actually Chaeyoung, I was wondering if you were free? I don't have anything to do and I was bored so I was thinking if maybe you and I could hangout? Lisa can come along too."

Chaeyoung looked at Lisa since she already invited her. She guessed Chanyeol would understand if she said no, even if she was still apprehensive with the idea of hanging out with her best friend with all the feelings she still had for her.

"Well-"

"Actually, I was just heading out. You guys can go on ahead without me." Lisa interrupted while letting go of Chaeng's hand.

She looked at Lisa, surprise written all over her face. 

"Are you sure?" Chanyeol asked her.

"Yeah, it's fine. I still have a lot of things to do anyway." she said while waving her hand in the air and smiling.

Chaeyoung started to say something to her, "But you said..."

"It's okay Chaeyoungie. I'll just see you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay?"

"Oh and by the way." Lisa says while looking at her in the eye "Please wait for me, Chaeyoung-ah." 

She winked at her then walked towards another direction.

What? Did she hear her right?

She was still pretty dumbfounded that she almost forgot that Chanyeol was still there with her.

"So Chaeyoung? Where do you wanna go?"

She looked at him, almost jumping in surprise when he spoke up.

"O-oh! Uhm...I dunno? Anywhere is fine?"

"You want to watch a movie? There's a good one out now."

Chaeyoung shrugged. She might as well enjoy this before she went home.

"Sure."

Chanyeol smiled happily as they walked outside.

When they finally got to the moviehouse, Chaeyoung realized that he had chosen a horror movie for them.

She wasn't really a fan of such films, and although she wasn't as scared of them as Jennie was, she still didn't like it.

"Chan? Are there any other movies besides this? I'm not really good with horror films."

"Well, there is, but this is the best one among them. The rest are boring, besides I'm just here if you get scared, so don't worry. I swear, the movie is really good, you won't regret it!" he said as he paid for the tickets.

Chaeyoung sighed.

"Alright."

At this point, she really didn't have a choice.

Once the movie had started, Chaeyoung decided she was just going to close her eyes and cover her ears when the scary parts came in.

She had been eating her popcorn non-stop when the stressful scenes had began that she didn't realize that Chanyeol's arm was already draped around her. She only noticed it when she felt him squeeze her shoulders.

She gave him a questioning look.

"It's alright, I'm just here." he whispered. He began moving closer to her which made Chaeyoung a bit uncomfortable. She quickly got up and tried to excuse herself by saying she was going to the restroom.

Once inside, she took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

 _He was just probably being nice. He knew I was scared so he just tried to comfort me._ She reasoned.

Yeah, probably that was it. He was always being nice to her, so this wasn't any different, right?

 _Right. Don't overthink it, Chaeyoung_.

She tried to fix herself instead. Honestly, she really wanted to go, but she didn't want to seem rude to Chanyeol.

After a few minutes, she got back to her seat and gave him a close-lipped smile.

As the movie progressed, she noticed that he tried to drape his arm around her again. She would shift forward so he wouldn't be able to touch her and at times he would also attempt to hold her hand which she would let go of immediately.

Finally, the movie ended and she breathed a sigh of relief. 

Once they got out, Chanyeol invited her to hang out again somewhere.

"Well, I actually have something to finish for the paper so I really can't stay long." she said, trying to sound disappointed.

"I promise it's just going to be quick. I am sure you won't regret it." he says, with a pleading look in his eyes.

Sometimes, this was her problem. She had a hard time saying no to people.

"Okay, fine. But I am really serious, I can't be out long, Chan. Jimin is going to be mad at me if I can't pass to him my work on time." she told him.

Jimin was the editor-in-chief of YG High's The Catalyst, and he was serious when it came to handling things with the paper.

Chanyeol nodded. 

"It won't be long, and I promise I'll drop you home afterwards" 

"Alright."

"Great! Let's go!"

They went towards his car which was a red Honda Civic Hatchback.

Chanyeol drove her somewhere towards the hills. It was getting dark and the awkward silence in the car was defeaning.

Chaeyoung decided to distract herself by playing some games on her phone.

When they finally arrived at their destination, she found that he took her to a spot where they could see the whole city.

It was a sight to behold, and it was indeed beautiful. But she wished she was here seeing the view with someone else.

That someone owning the most mischevous smile and her heart.

Chanyeol looked at her and smiled.

"It's quite a view isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's really amazing."

He put his arm behind Chaeyoung's seat. She had a bad feeling about this.

"You know, I was thinking about how beautiful this view was. It's perfect and it soothes the soul. But then I realized something." he says, looking into her eyes.

"I realized that it can't even compare to how beautiful you are."

He then leans in towards her, his face getting closer to her own.

Chaeyoung then realized what he was attempting to do. She turned her face and put her hand on his chest, pushing him away.

"Chanyeol, please...I'm sorry. Please...stop."

He froze midway and took his arm out of her seat. Chaeyoung turned back towards him and saw how frustrated he looked.

"Are you kidding me right now?" he said, sounding annoyed.

"Chanyeol..."

He laughed.

"Do you do this to everyone? Make them think that you like them?"

"What? Chan...I don't understand."

"Oh, I am sure you do, Chaeyoung. You act like this innocent and nice girl, but in reality, you're just a tease who likes to get attention from people." he says angrily.

"I-you got it all wrong, Chan. I would never do that to anyone." 

"Yeah right. Giving me all these signals, coming along with me, all those stuff. Don't tell me it was just nothing."

"I treated you as a friend, as anyone would."

"As a friend? Didn't you see I was coming on to you? And here I thought I could finally score with the school's prude. You and Jennie Kim are really friends. I bet both of you get off using people."

Chaeyoung was shocked at what was coming out of his mouth. Her anger started to boil. She was not going to be insulted like this, much less saying bad things to people close to her.

"For your information, it's not my fault that you started to assume things! Just because I treated you like a human being does not give you the right to insult me or my friend. Next time, if you want to know if someone is really interested in you, you ask them you fucking jerk!" she angrily stated and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

She was fuming. 

"Chaeyoung, get back in the car!"

"You don't own me so don't you give me orders!"

"Fine! Walk home then!" he shouted as he started his car.

Chaeyoung's eyes widened as she saw him back away and drove off into the night.

It was already dark and she was all alone.

She decided to call Lisa, but realized too late that she didn't have any reception.

She fought off the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her. 

Maybe Chanyeol wasn't such a jerk and would actually come back and at least take her home.

She waited. Minutes passed and she didn't see or hear any vehicle coming back for her.

She sighed. 

She had no choice, she was just going to try and walk all the way back down.

Maybe while doing so, she might get some reception.

As she started her journey, the situation she was in was starting to slowly sink in to her.

She never expected Chanyeol to do that, she always saw the good in people and it was a shock to her that he treated her like that and was able to say those things.

Maybe Lisa was right. Maybe she should be careful about who she should trust.

She started to cry. She wished so bad that Lisa was here right now.

Suddenly, she heard the loud roar of an engine in the distance. She decided to ignore it and continued her way downwards.

The sound became closer until finally, she saw the beaming headlights of a motorcycle.

As she walked, she was surprised that the bike slowed down and went towards her.

She felt scared. She didn't know who this was and she was all alone in the middle of God knows where.

The motorcycle's engine stopped and the person on it got off.

Although Chaeyoung froze in fear, she couldn't help but sense something familiar about the biker.

"Chaeyoung? What are you doing here?" the muffled voice asked through their helmet.

Chaeyoung just stared at the stranger who apparently knew who she was.

The person took off their helmet, which, to her surprise and relief, revealed to be Jisoo.

"Chaeyoung?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

Chaeyoung's entire being was flooded with relief. Suddenly she couldn't stop the tears, she began to cry. She was so stressed and scared about the whole situation that she didn't know what to do.

Jisoo seemed taken aback about what was happening and slowly approached her.

When she was near, she gently rubbed her back, trying to help her calm down.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." she soothed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.. " she kept repeating.

Jisoo decided to stay silent and let her cry her eyes out.

When she finally calmed down, she rubbed her eyes and gave a small smile to Jisoo.

"Thank you." she sniffed.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Are you feeling better?"

She nodded.

"A little bit."

"Would you like to tell me what happened?"

"Chan..Chanyeol drove off and left me here."

Jisoo looked at her, incredulous.

"He did WHAT? Why?"

"I-is..is it okay if we talk about it some other time? I'm really sorry."

Jisoo looked a bit upset, but respected her decision.

"No...definitely it's fine, Chaeng. I just...I just want to confirm one thing. Did he do ANYTHING to you?"

Chaeyoung knew what she meant.

"He was a jerk but no...he didn't do anything of that sort."

Jisoo exhaled. She seemed to look a bit relieved.

"Okay, that's good. Come on, I'll take you home. You look like you need a good night's sleep." she said as she handed Chaeyoung her other helmet.

She took it and then Jisoo drove her back home.

Once they reached their destination, she got off the bike and gave the older girl's helmet back to her.

"Thanks again, Jisoo."

"No worries. Anyway, we gotta stop meeting like this." she grinned.

Chaeyoung chuckled.

"I'll do my best to make sure we meet at much more normal circumstances in the future."

Jisoo laughed. Then she looked at her again.

"So, you okay now?"

"Yeah...I mean, I will be."

"I understand. If that Chanyeol guy bothers you, let me know, okay?"

She smiled.

"It's fine. I'm sure he won't anymore."

"Well, just in case, let him know you're friends with the most badass girl on the block."

"I will keep that in mind, thanks."

"Good. I'll head off once you're safely inside."

"My door is just a few steps away from here."

"Still, who knows what kind of alien might swoop down and kidnap you?"

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Bye Jisoo, and thanks again."

"Don't mention it."

Chaeyoung slowly walked to her door. She opened it and when she turned around, Jisoo was still there, waiting for her to get inside. 

The older girl waved at her and she waved back, then closed the door.

Once she was inside, she heard Jisoo's engine roar back to life and heard her drive off. She gave a small smile.

If the circumstances were different, and she wasn't head over heels in love with her best friend, it really wouldn't be hard falling for someone like Jisoo.

Nobody knew but she had a small crush on her when she was still a Freshman and Jisoo was a Sophomore. 

She saw her in their PE class one time dancing to something, executing a krumping move.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful that anyone with two eyes would definitely be attracted to the raven-haired beauty.

That was so long ago and Chaeyoung laughed at herself as she remembered.

Sighing, she proceeded to go up to her room.

Anyway, nobody really needed to know that at one time, she was attracted to the school's badass.


	40. The Reason

Jisoo raised her hands in the air as she got the Player of the Game once again in Overwatch. Seulgi just rolled her eyes as she watched her best friend do her weird victory dance.

"And THAT'S how you play Hanzo, bitch." she said as she pointed at her screen. The both of them were hanging out at Seulgi's house.

"Try playing Mercy and get Player of the Game and I will pay for everything you want and more for a year." Seulgi challenged.

"I rather eat paper than play Mercy. I suck as a healer. It's so difficult. Even in World of Warcraft I tried playing as a Resto Druid and they kept bitching about my heals. Like, I wanted to tell them to stop standing in the fire or be an actual tank instead of some fluffy teddy bear monstrosity who's life becomes half with just two hits of the boss! How can I help you stay alive when you can't even mitigate damage right?"

Seulgi looked at her amused, "Well, you HAVE the right attitude for a healer. They are fiery balls of spite. Sooyoung is a perfect example of that."

"Well, unfortunately, I was not built for support roles. Gosh my back hurts."

"Why? You haven't been sleeping right?"

"Nah, it hurts from carrying your sorry ass with those five games." Jisoo said grinning.

Seulgi threw her pillow at her.

"You are such an ass!"

Jisoo laughed hysterically at her best friend.

"Damn, you fell for that!"

"Yeah, whatever Kim. You are not having any of my chicken tonight."

"Hey, no fair. I'll tell your mom!"

"Yeah? Try that and you won't have any of my chicken for a lifetime."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Kids, language!" Seulgi's mom called out from outside of their room.

"Sorry Mrs. Kang!" Jisoo called out.

"The way you kiss my mom's ass."

"And a very fine one at that."

"Ewww! Oh my God, that's my mom you heathen!"

Jisoo laughed some more as Seulgi pretended to vomit.

"I'm just kidding. Anyway, want to play another round?"

"Nah, Irene is beginning to have a tantrum since we started. Perhaps we can play again tomorrow?"

"Whipped."

"Hey, at least I have a girlfriend to take care of me. It's nice to be loved."

"It's also nice to have some independence."

Seulgi raised her eyebrows.

"Oh really? I just think you're a big fat coward. You can't make up your mind about two girls. The first one you say you really like but you can't even make a move on and the second one you say you don't yet you keep looking for her. What is the real score here?"

Jisoo knew this topic was going to come up sooner or later with Seulgi. She guessed she couldn't avoid it now.

"I dunno about two girls."

"So you only like one?"

"Yeah...I mean...I don't know." she says, shrugging.

"So what's the problem? You've been trying to look for Jennie for the past week. Did you guys fight?"

"I really don't know. We were okay at my house after her drunken spree that night and the next second she runs out and never speaks a word to me again."

A crease formed on Seulgi's forehead.

"Did you say anything weird to her?"

Jisoo tried to think.

"Not that I can recall of, no."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did and you didn't notice it. You can be pretty dense sometimes."

"Wow, thanks for the encouragement."

"All in a day's work."

Jisoo sighed.

"I dunno, I'm getting frustrated on why she wouldn't speak to me. I wish she would just...tell me. I mean, if something's wrong, just say it! I'm not a mind reader."

"You're quite affected for someone who doesn't have feelings for her."

"I really can't say if I do or I don't."

"I think you do know but something is stopping you. Spill."

Jisoo looked down and licked her lips.

"Come on, Seulgi..."

Her best friend narrowed her eyes at her.

"Jisoo." She warned.

"Alright, alright. The reason is because...it's because Chaeyoung's the one."

Seulgi made a face.

"God, you are such a spaz. I mean, how in the world would you even know that? You just got to know her."

"I mean, Chaeyoung is the one...the one who gave me the daisy pin."

Seulgi sat up.

"No shit. You're kidding right?"

"I'm not."

"Wait. Holy shit, now it all makes sense on why you suddenly have this crush on her."

"Yeah."

Seulgi hit her on the back of the head.

"Ouch! The fuck, Kang! What was that for?!"

"For you being a dumbass! Seriously Jisoo, you're one of the most intelligent people I know but when it comes to things like these, it makes me question if you have any at all."

Jisoo gave her a puzzled look.

"Why, what the heck did I do wrong?"

Seulgi facepalmed.

"Oh my God, Jisoo. Do you even really like Chaeng or do you THINK you like her because of a memory?"

"Of course I do!"

Seulgi was not convinced.

"How do you even know it was her?"

"Well..."

 _ **Flashback**_ :

_Jisoo was squatting down on the ground, her back against the wall behind one of the buildings inside the campus._

_Rarely anyone came here and it was the perfect spot for her to hide and just empty out the emotions she couldn't control anymore._

_She had seen her brother yesterday, and although she had been visiting him for quite some time now, the fact that he didn't even acknowledge their presence and the way she saw her mom breakdown everytime that happened took a toll on her._

_She didn't know if she could still continue this, it was just too much, and it was all the fault of that bastard who was supposed to be their father._

_More like their sperm donor in Jisoo's opinion._

_She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She was scared that she couldn't hold on much longer. Her friends were there for her, and she was thankful. But doing all of this, despite their presence, still felt like she was fighting alone._

_Why did her brother have to suffer?_

_As she let herself cry, she suddenly heard some footsteps nearby._

_She quickly tried to quiet down, she didn't want to be caught bawling her eyes out in school, that would be too embarrassing._

_However, everything always never turns out the way you want it too._

_She heard the person speak up._

_"Hey, uhm, I'm really sorry for bothering you, but are you okay over there?"_

_Jisoo decided to stay silent. Whoever it was, she was definitely a snoop._

_"I'm really sorry, you must have wanted some privacy. I just heard you crying, and I decided to try and see if maybe I could help? You don't have to show your face."_

_Jisoo sighed._

_"No one can help me." she answered, leaning her head on the wall behind her._

_"I won't pretend that I know what you're going through, but perhaps, the best thing I can do right now is to help you ease your burden? They say talking to someone you don't know helps."_

_Jisoo threw a small stone towards the bushes in front of her. This person was definitely persistent. But she guessed it wouldn't hurt to try, especially since this girl doesn't know who she was._

_"You know that feeling when you're trapped and you don't know what you're going to do? Like you try everything to make yourself be better, yet you still find yourself stuck in the same spot? That's how I feel."_

_"It sounds like whatever you're going through is quite heavy. Have you considered that maybe you might be feeling guilty over it? That maybe you couldn't forgive yourself for what has happened?"_

_Jisoo swallowed. She did feel that way._

_"Yeah."_

_"Because of that, deep inside you feel scared. You're scared to live your life and just be happy because you feel you don't deserve it."_

_Jisoo sniffed. Fresh tears began to fall on her face._

_"I do."_

_"It must be hard, but I hope you don't forget that you are just human and in time you will understand that most likely it is not your fault. I just remember something that somebody told me not too long ago. You want to know what she said? It might help."_

_"Yeah, sure."_

_"She told me that courage is not when you are faced with something and you don't feel fear. It is when you feel fear but you face it anyway. So I know you might be feeling scared to chase your dreams or live your life to the fullest, but the first step is always the hardest. It's okay to feel these things, but don't let it stop you from trying."_

_Jisoo froze. She suddenly felt a sense of deja vu. That thing about courage and facing your fears was the exact same words she heard when she was also feeling like the world was against her when she was younger. That girl she couldn't quite remember how she looked like, but she could never forget how she made her feel._

_The girl who gave her the daisy pin._

_She suddenly heard the girl's ringtone._

_"Oh, give me a sec, I just need to pick this up."_

_Jisoo was still not moving or saying anything. She did not know what to do. Was it possible? It couldn't it be her, could it?_

_But she said the exact same words at a time she needed them most._

_"Hey, I'm really sorry but an emergency came up with my best friend. I really need to go. I hope I have at least made you feel better. Please think about what I said! I gotta run!"_

_She heard the girls footsteps move away and Jisoo scrambled to get up and turned around the corner to try and stop her._

_"Hey, wait!"_

_She never heard her._

_All Jisoo saw was the back of a tall blonde girl running off into the distance._

**_End of Flashback_ **

"So, that's when I knew that it was her."

Seulgi leaned her head on her hand.

"Have you asked Chaeng if it was her or maybe you're just assuming things?"

"I haven't yet."

"What if it turns out she's not the girl? Are you going to stop liking her then?"

"N-no."

"You sound unsure."

"I mean, I do like Chaeng. She is an amazing person."

"I'm not going to argue with that. However, the problem still stands that you're too focused on the fact that she was the one who gave you the pin. I'll be honest with you Jisoo, because I am your best friend, and you seriously need a reality check. You don't like Chaeng the way you think you do. Instead, you like the idea of her being the girl. That's not how things work. Because of this, you're actually trying to deny your feelings with Jennie, which doesn't make sense. Because I can see how happy you are with her."

"That's not-"

"Oh for the love of-can you stop? It doesn't matter if that person is the one who gave you the pin or not. What matters here Jisoo is if that person standing in front of you is the one you do like because of who they are, not because of some memory that happened long ago. It's possible that she may be the same girl, but your feelings for her aren't what they are. It's not about the pin, it's about if at this moment, like right this second, they are the one that you are scared to lose and who you choose time and time again."

"You don't understand."

"Whatever Jisoo. For someone who cherises that saying, you are doing the opposite of it. A big fucking coward."

Jisoo was getting angry, but she couldn't just shout at her inside her house. Instead she took her helmet and stood up.

"I'm going."

"Yeah, do what you do best. Run away from your feelings."

Jisoo stormed out of Seulgi's house and drove off into the mountains.

How dare she? She doesn't know how she feels!

She stopped at the hill where she went to whenever she felt confused or out of it.

She was still quite pissed at Seulgi, but she also knew that her best friend meant well.

She also knew that she did make sense.

For all her bravado, Jisoo knew deep inside she was scared. Scared of what she was feeling because they were coming in too fast and too strong.

It was easier to say she liked Chaeng because it wasn't complicated. She did like her.

But she knew, she didn't like her as much as she did with Jennie.

Jennie who effortlessly came into her life, the same girl who made her just be herself whenever she was around her.

The same girl who she missed badly because she didn't know why she wasn't talking to her.

She looked at her phone and then sent another message to her. She hasn't read them at all and she wasn't sure what to do.

She stayed there for quite sometime, letting her thoughts run inside her head.

Finally, when her stomach began growling, she decided to go back down and grab something to eat. Maybe that will help clear her head.

As she drove down,she noticed someone up ahead walking down the road. She looked oddly familiar, and she found it strange that a person was walking down this road at this time. 

She slowed down and realized with a gasp that it was Chaeyoung. She looked frightened and she seemed to have been crying.

She went towards her and stopped.

She got off her bike and proceeded to walk towards her.

"Chaeyoung? What are you doing here?"

The girl looked at her in fear. She must not recognize her.

She took off her helmet and that's when she saw her expression change to relief and she suddenly broke down in front of Jisoo.

The older girl felt so worried that she tried her best to help her calm down.

When she seemed to feel better, she told Jisoo that Chanyeol had left her here.

Anger had started to stir in her heart, she hoped the guy didn't do anything stupid towards her.

When Chaeng confirmed nothing really bad happened, Jisoo felt a little better and offered to take the girl home.

When Jisoo confirmed that she was safe inside, she decided.

She was going to ask Chaeyoung about the pin.

She also decided she was going to do something about what she was feeling towards Jennie.


	41. The Sickness and the Cure

Jennie pouted as she read Irene's message on her phone. Apparently, she couldn't walk with her home as she had an emergency meeting with the student council regarding the upcoming pep rally. Soccer season was about to start after all. 

When she closed her best friend's message, her eyes then drifted towards the unread messages she had with Jisoo. 

The older girl had been trying to reach her for the past few days since she suddenly left her house without any explanation.

She had been itching to respond to them, she couldn't deny she missed spending time with her, and she knew she was being unfair to her since she was trying to avoid her as best as she could.

However, the part of her that was scared about her feelings and what it could mean won her over.

Plus the fact that she had discovered who she really was. 

She couldn't let herself fall for Jisoo, especially when she felt that she might not really take her seriously. 

_This is better, right Jennie?_

She grimaced. She knew avoiding problems would only make matters worse in the long run, but right now, she didn't want to deal with this.

She decided to start making her way home.

While Jennie was walking, she began to think about everything that had happened. It did stress her out a bit but there was nothing she could do. Too absorbed in her own thoughts, she wasn't aware of the person standing in front of her, until finally she bumped into them.

She looked up and her heart jumped at the sight of that annoying smirk she was trying to avoid for the past week.

Jisoo was standing in front of her, hands inside her black skinny jeans, her red shirt making her skin glow more than usual.

Her raven hair was a bit disheveled, but not in a bad way. You know that look when you just got out of bed? It was kinda like that, but the thing was, she looked so good in it.

It was ridiculous to Jennie how utterly gorgeous she was. 

She swallowed hard, aware of how flustered she was at her presence.

"Hey Jendeuk."

"Hey Jisoo."

"How have you been?"

"I'm fine." she said, holding on tightly to the strap of her backpack.

She breathed in, "Anyway, it was nice seeing you. I'm sorry, I need to go."

She started walking, but then she felt Jisoo tug at her wrist gently, and she couldn't help but stop and turn towards her, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Jenduek..."

"What?"

"Are you still mad at me?" 

"No."

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

Jennie pouted.

"I'm not. I'm just...busy."

Jisoo raised her eyebrows.

"That includes being too busy to respond to my calls or messages?"

Jennie groaned.

"Fine, yeah. Maybe I'm still mad at you." she lied, still not looking at her.

She noticed that Jisoo hasn't let go of her hand. She didn't do anything about it either.

Jisoo sighed.

"What can I do so that you won't be mad at me anymore?"

"I...I don't know. I'm still figuring things out. Just give me some time."

"Okay." Jisoo says, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

She felt really guilty after that.

"I'm sorry, Jisoo." 

"You don't have to be sorry. I just...I just miss you I guess." she says sincerely.

Jennie looked at her when she said that, surprised.

Their eyes locked and Jennie could see she was not kidding around. Her brown orbs looked a bit dejected, that it somehow hurt her to see the older girl like that.

_Did she have to look like a kicked puppy?_

"Well then, it was nice seeing you again, Jendeuk. I'll see you around." she said as she started to turn around.

For some reason, Jennie's body involuntarily moved forward and grabbed her hand.

Shit. Why did I do that? She berated herself.

Jisoo looked at her surprised.

"W-wait."

"Yes?" Jisoo looked at her expectantly.

"Were you headed somewhere?"

"Yes, actually."

"Okay."

It became silent after that. Jisoo was still looking at her.

"Do you want to come along with me?"

Jennie bit her lip. She didn't know what to say to that.

Jisoo smiled. She held Jennie's hand and pulled her along. She didn't protest.

Once they got to her motorcycle, Jisoo let go of her hand and got her extra helmet.

She then put it on Jennie and locked the strap in place. 

"Where are you taking me?" Jennie managed to croak out.

"I want you to meet someone."

*************************************************************

They drove somewhere for about 40 minutes in complete silence, not that it wasn't comfortable.

Jennie was happy enough to be holding on to Jisoo.

She wasn't going to lie, she had missed her badly.

Being able to be in her presence again and take in her scent made Jennie feel safe and secure. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. 

Jisoo was both her sickness and her cure.

Finally, she felt Jisoo slow down and turned towards the entrance of what looked like to be some sort of facility.

Jennie looked around and noticed that the place had a lot of trees and shrubs. There was also a working fountain in the middle.

She wondered where they were.

When they finally stopped, she got down and pulled off her helmet, shyly giving it to Jisoo who strapped it on her motorcycle.

Jisoo looked at her softly. 

"Chu, where are we?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later. Come on, let's go." she says as she intertwines their hands together, which made Jennie's emotions go haywire.

_Jennie, you better calm yourself. This is just nothing, okay? Okay?_

Jisoo led her inside the white building, where people were quite busy doing their own thing. 

She noticed that there were nurses around and some doctors, aside from the ordinary folk milling about.

She wondered again why Jisoo had taken her here. She did say she wanted her to meet someone.

As they continued to walk, Jisoo seemed to spot someone familiar. She then smiled and waved at a pretty nurse ahead.

Jennie pouted as they walked towards her.

The nurse looked too happy to see Jisoo.

"Hey Soojin!" Jisoo greeted.

"Hi Jisoo! I wasn't expecting you to be this early."

"Yeah well, the important thing is I'm here."

"Of course! It's always nice to see your face around here."

_Yes of course, it's very nice for you I bet._

Jennie tried to contain herself from rolling her eyes.

"Oh, whose this pretty girl you brought along with you? Is she your girlfriend?"

Jennie swore she thought she saw Jisoo blush. But she just shrugged it off, it might have just been her imagination.

"Oh, uhm no. This is Jennie, she's a friend of mine from school. Jen, this is Soojin, one of the nurses here."

Soojin smiled at her widely.

"Hi Jennie! It's always nice to see Jisoo bring along people who are important to her. She's usually a bit closed off."

Jennie almost choked on her own saliva when she heard her say she was an important person in Jisoo's life.

"Uh yeah, nice to meet you too." 

"So that means you're still single. Maybe a few years from now, if you still are, I'll invite you out to coffee or something." Soojin said, winking playfully at Jisoo.

Jennie frowned at her remark. 

Jisoo laughed, "Yeah, well, let's see what happens then. Unless I get lucky and the girl I like will actually like me back."

Jennie's eyebrows furrowed.

Wait, she likes someone?

"A girl who won't like you? Impossible."

Jisoo grinned shyly at Soojin's remark. Jennie's good mood started to plummet.

"Yeah well, this one's different, trust me. She likes to play hard to get."

Jennie's heart began to sting. 

Of course, what hope did she have with Jisoo? She probably sees her like a little sister or something. 

She let go of Jisoo's hand and crossed her arms. She wanted to leave, but she didn't know how to get home.

She wondered who was it that Jisoo was referring to.

Soojin gave her a side-eye glance.

"Oh, I'm sure if you just let her know, she'd realize she feels the same way too."

Jisoo shrugged.

"We'll see about that, but first, priorities."

"Of course, I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing you."

Jennie saw Jisoo smile sadly.

"Yeah, I am too."

"Well, I gotta go. I still have a few rounds to make before my shift ends. It was nice meeting you Jennie! Take care of her for me, will you?" Soojin said, this time winking at her and proceeding to walk on ahead.

"Bye Soojin!"

Soojin just gave a wave and headed off.

"Let's go, Jendeuk."

She didn't smile and just followed her. Jisoo looked at her, concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Jisoo tried to take her hand again, but she denied it to her.

Jisoo pinched her cheeks, and when did, Jennie glared at her.

The raven-haired girl just smiled at her playfully. She then stopped in front of a door.

Jisoo inhaled and looked at Jennie.

"Well, here goes nothing."

As she opened it, Jennie noticed that the inside of the room was well-lit. It was decorated with fresh flowers and different kinds of posters.

There was a bed and up ahead, a man in all white was standing. He was looking out the window and he didn't seem to notice their presence.

Jisoo looked at Jennie and ushered her inside. She then walked towards the guy and Jennie followed her.

She saw Jisoo hold the guy's hand, who turned around to look at them.

"Jin-oppa, I'm back again. I'm sorry I wasn't able to buy any of your favorite snacks today, but I did bring someone I wanted you to meet." she said, smiling serenely at him.

Jennie noticed that he was just staring blankly at them, as if he didn't have any emotion.

"Oppa, this is Jennie. She's my friend at school, the one that I told you about who looks like an angry kitten and a dumpling at the same time."

Jennie blushed. Jisoo talked about her?

"And Jendeuk, this is Jin, my older brother."

Jin continued to stare at them as if they weren't there. 

"H-hi." Jennie says, unsure.

Jisoo smiled at her.

"Jendeuk, you can just sit over there while I talk with him, if that's alright?"

"Of course, it's fine."

"Thank you."

Jennie then proceeded to sit down on one of the chairs nearby. She observed as Jisoo tried to talk to her brother.

She recalled her mentioning a bit about him, but she never expected that her brother's state was like this.

She wondered what had happened. 

She noticed how similar their features were. Jin was handsome as Jisoo was beautiful, the only thing missing was the spark of life in his eyes, which Jisoo's ones were full of.

Her heart went out to her as she saw her talk softly and patiently with him. She would caress his hair every now and then and then laugh about something she felt would have been funny if she heard it.

As time passed, she felt like an intruder of their privacy. It was the third time she had seen Jisoo so vulnerable. The second when she had her nightmare and the first when they were kids.

She realized then that she had met Jin before, when he was still full of life. She recalled how Jisoo looked up to him and loved him so, and he always brought them her favorite avocado snacks, which Jisoo hated at first, but she forced her into liking them. She smiled at the memory.

She frowned, what had happened to Jin in between? Why did he turn out like this?

Her heart broke as she saw Jisoo lovingly put all her attention on him. This must have been so hard for her, to lose someone while they were still with you.

Jennie clenched her fist. She wanted to hug Jisoo and tell her that even if things were bleak, that she would always be here for her no matter what.

Was it possible to fall even deeper with someone?

After some time, Jisoo looked at her and gave her an eye-smile. 

"Oppa, I'm sorry but I have to go now. I don't want Jendeuk to be bored while waiting, but I promise to see you again tomorrow." she said and kissed him on the cheek.

"You make sure to eat a lot okay? Also, listen to your nurse." she says as she stands up and scratches her head.

"I'm really sorry Jendeuk for making you wait. You must be bored."

Jennie shook her head and smiled at her.

"No, it's fine and I wasn't, I swear." 

Jisoo walked up to her and looked at her.

"Thank you for understanding."

"It's okay, Jisoo."

They looked at each other, Jennie noticing the storm of emotions in the older girls eyes.

Suddenly, she noticed Jin walk up to her and streched out his hands towards her. In his hand was an empty snack bag. He seemed to be looking at her, as if saying to take it. She did.

Jisoo looked as shocked as she was as Jin began to turn around and stare back out the window.

"Oppa.." Jisoo says, dumbfounded.

Jennie looked at the snack bag that Jin gave to her and almost cried when she saw it.

It was her favorite avocado snack. Did he for a moment remember who she was?

Jisoo looked at her.

"H-he has never done that, not since..." she trailed off.

Jennie then walked towards Jin and hugged him.

"Thank you, Jin-oppa." she whispered and then let go, smiling at him. He no longer acknowledged her presence.

Jennie put the snack bag inside her pocket and held Jisoo's hand.

"Let's go?"

Jisoo nodded and walked with her outside. They were both silent.

"He wasn't always like that you know." Jisoo told her.

"I guessed. I could tell you love him very much."

"I do."

Jennie nodded.

To her surprise, Jisoo began to tell her what had happened. She decided to be quiet as she listened to her, walking hand in hand towards the parking lot.

They were still holding hands as the both of them leaned into her motorcycle as Jisoo continued her story. When she was finally done, she exhaled a breath, as if she had finally released something she had been holding out for so long.

Jennie's heart felt so hurt at what had happened to them. No wonder why she had become so different from the girl she used to play with before.

"So that's it. Kinda pathetic, right?"

"It's never pathetic, Chu." she told her, squeezing her hand.

Jisoo then looked at her with so much intensity that she felt she would melt at her gaze.

Jennie's heart pumped crazily when she realized that Jisoo's face was slowly moving in towards her.

She began to close her eyes when suddenly, they stopped as they heard some dogs barking incessently nearby.

Jisoo frowned as she looked over to where the source was.

Jennie spotted a small box near the gate. 

They looked at each other, puzzled and walked towards it.

As they looked inside, they saw two small puppies wagging their tails at them. One looked like a brown fox while the other was a cute white furry pup.

"Awwwe, they look so cute! Why are you guys here?" Jennie said as she picked up the brown pup who barked at her excitedly. 

She looked around, concerned. It looked like somebody had abondoned them. How could anyone be so heartless?

Jisoo took the white one, who licked her nose affectionately.

"Hey there bud." she greeted.

"It looks like they have been abandoned." Jennie said sadly.

"We can take them inside. I'm sure they will be able to find a safe place for them." Jisoo suggested.

Jennie thought about it for a moment.

"Hey Chu, how about we keep them?"

Jisoo looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Are you sure? I don't know if I am ready to be responsible for a puppy. I can barely keep up with my own life."

"Oh come on, look at them! Don't you just want to love them?"

"I-I mean, of course. But a dog is a huge responsibility." she says a matter of factly.

Jennie pouted at her.

"Please Chu? Can we keep them?" she asked, using her puppy dog eyes.

Jisoo hesitated for a bit and sighed.

"Fine. My mom's gonna have a fit."

"She'll love him! And thank you!" she said happily, wearing her gummy smile.

She looked at the pup.

"Your name is going to be Kuma, since you look like a small bear."

Jisoo laughed.

"He looks like a fox."

"He's a bear when I say so!" Jennie insisted.

"Alright, alright. How about you bud, what shall I name you?"

"You name him after a bear too."

"He doesn't even look remotely like a bear."

"Come on, Chu! So that at least they match! They'll be like bear brothers or something." Jennie whined.

Jisoo look at her skeptically and sighed once more.

"Since this girl insists, your full name shall be Bandalgom, but I'll call you Dalgom for short so that it makes you look fierce."

Jennie grinned.

"Awwe! Hello Dalgom! Kuma is going to be your brother, okay?"

Dalgom barked happily in response.

"Look, he already likes his name!" Jennie said happily.

Jisoo just laughed at her.

"If you say so, Jendeukie."

Jennie then went near her and kissed her on the cheek.

Jisoo looked at her, surprised.

"Uuhm.." Jisoo said, blushing slightly.

"Thank you, Chu."

"For what?"

"For always making me happy."

They stared at each other, letting their eyes speak what words ever couldn't.


	42. Blue and Yellow

Chaeyoung had just finished her Chemistry class with Jennie and they were now headed towards the cafeteria for their lunch break.

"Gosh, look at all the work Mr. Choi left for us. This is going to be a boring weekend." Jennie complained.

"Tell me about it. We still have that paper due in History and don't get me started with the oration we have to do for English."

"They are driving us into madness I tell you."

"I know right?"

Jennie then stopped and closed her eyes.

"Shit."

"What?"

"I think I forgot my notes inside the room. Wait, let me check."

Chaeng watched Jennie rummage through her bag. She heard her groan in frustration when she couldn't find it.

"Damn it. Rosie, just go on ahead, I'll catch up in a bit."

"Alright, don't take too long."

"I won't!" Jennie said as she started to do a half jog on her way back to their room.

Chaeyoung then proceeded towards her destination.

As she entered the cafeteria, she tried to find a familiar face, but couldn't, so she decided to get in line to buy her lunch.

Once she had finished choosing her food and paying, she then tried to find an empty table so she could eat and wait for Jennie.

When she finally found one, she started walking towards it when suddenly, her leg caught on something and she fell face first onto the ground, causing her to spill her lunch all over the place.

Her body started hurting in some places, but not as much as her pride.

Being embarrassed in public was not something anyone would look forward to.

She heard some laughter in the background, which made her face turn beet red. She also felt a pair of arms try to help her up.

"Oh my God, Chaeyoung, are you okay?" Wendy asked, concerned.

Chaeng got up slowly and just nodded her head in response.

"Does it hurt anywhere?"

"A bit, but I think I'll be okay. Thanks Wannie."

"If I were you Wendy, I wouldn't help out a fake-ass person like her."

Chaeyoung turned towards the sound and saw it was Chanyeol, along with his friends Baekhyun, Tao and Lay.

All of them were laughing at her.

"Shut up Chan and stop being an asshole. Chaeyoung is not that kind of person." Wendy told him off.

"I'm just telling the truth from first-hand experience."

"Acts all nice and is actually a bitch. You know what they say about 'nice girls'." Baekhyun added, making an air finger quote.

All of them guffawed as if it was the funniest thing they heard. Other people sniggered too.

Chaeng noticed a lot of people were staring at them now. She was starting to feel sick.

"Shut your traps about Chaeng you bastards. What are you trying to prove huh?" Yeri butted in out of nowhere.

Chanyeol shrugged, "That she's a tease and likes to drag people along for the ride, then laughs and skips away after you've been trapped."

"Sounds like you're one of those losers who can't handle rejection." Yeri informed him, crossing her arms.

Chanyeol face turns red with anger.

"Don't you dare make assumptions of me, Yerim! Look! She's all quiet and can't even defend herself."

Rosé was trembling. She didn't know how to handle this kind of situation. She didn't know what kind of thing she had done to Chanyeol to deserve this.

She was about to cry.

"Awwwe look, miss fake ass is about to bawl her eyes out." Baekhyun told them in a sing song voice. 

"They're all fake. You know what they say, birds of the same feather flock together."

They all laughed again. Some students were even agreeing.

Chaeyoung couldn't hold it in anymore, she was about to cry when she felt a familiar hand intertwine with hers.

She turned her head and saw Lisa.

She wasn't facing Chaeyoung.

Although her expression looked calm, Chaeng could see the simmiring anger that was starting to boil up beneath her eyes. 

"Pretty much sums up why dumbasses like you got together." Lisa told them.

"Oh look, it's the lesbian best friend coming to the rescue! Do you think it will win you brownie points from her?" Chanyeol smirked.

"I don't need brownie points from Chaeng, unlike you who's so desperate to get them from her. Stop acting like a basic bitch. It doesn't suit you."

Chanyeol got up and clenched his fist.

"Lisa..." Chaeyoung called out weakly.

Lisa squeezed her hand, then looked at her.

"Are you alright?" she whispered softly.

Chaeng looked at her and just nodded quickly, trying to hold back her tears.

"Hah! It's obvious you like her. But as a witness to how she really is, she likes to lead people on. You are no different, Lisa. Just admit that Chaeng likes to play with people's feelings."

Lisa bored her eyes into Chanyeol's as she spoke.

"It's not my problem if your fragile ego has been hurt, but it is MY problem when you spread false information about the most important person in my life. At least Chaeng had the balls and the decency to be nice to you, and you decided to take advantage of her kindness. Then when you couldn't get what you wanted, you try to destroy her reputation? Your brain is as huge as your fucking micro-penis. Also, get over yourselves, I've hooked up with hotter girls than with all four of you combined."

The rest of the cafeteria hooted at Lisa's response and the four of them looked flustered.

Chanyeol was able ro get his bearings back quickly though, and smirked at her.

"But not the girl who matters to you."

Chaeyoung's lips trembled. They got it all wrong! Why were they thinking that Lisa likes her?

Lisa smiled.

"Who said that I haven't?"

Chaeyoung's eyes grew wide as Lisa turned to look at her.

Both her hands cupped her face, and Chaeng gave her a questioning look.

"Chaeyoung-ah, do you trust me?" she whispered to her.

She looked into her best friend's eyes which was full of determination, softness and care.

"Yes." she answered, her heart racing at the thought of what it could mean.

Lisa smiled and slowly moved her face towards her, and out of instinct, Chaeng closed her eyes.

As the seconds ticked by, she finally felt Lisa's soft lips on hers. 

It wasn't the electric, mind-boggling effect that most people talked about.

Instead, it was chaste, soft and sweet, like she could get lost in it forever if she wanted to. It made her feel safe and...at home. 

The kiss was only for a few seconds, but it made her feel like it lasted longer. 

When Lisa pulled back, she breathed deeply and put her forehead on Chaeyoung's.

The rest of the cafeteria went wild. Shouts of 'finally' and 'congratulations' were heard all around.

Chanyeol was staring at them, mouth agape.

"And that's how you get a girl, Chanyeol!" Wendy told him. Yeri just laughed.

"God, what took you so long, Lisa?" Yeri shouted happily.

Chaeyoung felt elated but confused at the same time. What was Lisa trying to pull? Didn't she reject her not too long ago?

"I know what you're thinking, but I want to explain myself. Can we go somewhere we can talk privately?" 

Chaeyoung sighed. Maybe Lisa did this just to protect her. Might as well get over with it.

"Okay."

Lisa held her hand, and she didn't refuse her.

They walked past Jennie who was smirking at them.

"I should say I told you so, but just handle it, Manoban."

Lisa grinned and winked at her.

"I will, Kim."

Lisa led her towards the rooftop.

When they got there, they sat on one of the available benches.

Lisa then rummaged her bag and got her a pair of sandwiches and something to drink.

"Eat up, I know you're hungry, you spilled your lunch after all."

"Thank you."

She WAS hungry, so she started to eat one of the sandwiches. Lisa was looking at her, amused.

"What?"

"You look so adorable, you know that?"

Chaeyoung sighed.

"Look Lisa, let's stop this teasing thing that you do. It's not really helping. Plus, you...you just kissed me!"

"I know."

"You rejected me. I mean, I am okay with that, you not feeling the same way. But you gotta stop sending me these mixed signals, it's making me go crazy!"

Lisa looked at her.

"I'm sorry Chaeyoung-ah. You're best friend is one stupid person."

"I'm glad you know that! I don't know what do with you. I mean, I wish you would say 'I like you too', but-"

"I like you too."

"-but you-wait, what?"

"I said, I like you too."

Chaeyoung stared at her, even more confused than before.

"I'm sorry, what?" she said, not believing with what she was just hearing.

Lisa chuckled.

"I said, I like you too. More than you know."

Chaeyoung opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish.

"B-b-but y-y-you said..." she spluttered.

Lisa held her hands.

"Yes, I know. I rejected you Chaeyoung, I did. Honestly because I know I don't deserve someone like you. It was the stupidest thing I ever did, and I hurt you because of it." she said sadly.

"I-I don't understand."

Lisa inhaled, and looked into her eyes.

"For the longest time, Chaeyoung-ah, I've always had a crush on you since we first met. You were this beautiful and radiant person which brought so much life to everyone, and here I am, just a klutz. Always the annoying person that people had to deal with, yet you didn't seem to mind at all. At first, it was nothing, until my feelings grew and grew, and I became scared of them. I was scared that if I told you, I would lose you. So basically, I was that person who decided to keep the friendship and just not let my emotions get in the way."

"But why did you reject me if that was the case?"

"Because I felt I wasn't good enough. That maybe in time, because of who I am, I would be the person to drive you away, and someday, because I decided to listen to how I feel, I would eventually lose you. That scares me so much."

Chaeyoung was staring at her, she could feel the sincerity in Lisa's voice. She knew she wasn't lying.

"But what about Jennie?"

Lisa smiled.

"I did like Jennie in a way, but I realized later on it was more on because I was running away in fear from what I truly felt. I also thought "protecting" you from other people would help find you happiness with the right person, and I was wrong for doing that. I was being selfish because I couldn't face the reality of not being able to risk it and open up myself to you. But I realized that I should have said something, even if my hands were shaking. Because at the end of the day, I know that I would rather waste all of my time with you."

Chaeyoung didn't know what to say to all of this.

Lisa sighed.

"Look, I know I have been such a dumbass with all my decisions. I am not expecting you to just be okay with it. I hurt you and there is no excuse for that. I am so sorry for everything. What I can do is to make sure that I will be better, that's it. In time, you'll find someone worthy of you."

Lisa looked down. 

Chaeyoung's heart softened at Lisa's confession. Yes, it was true that she had aggravated her more than usual but at the end of the day, the heart wants what it wants.

Right now, it wanted so badly the person in front of her.

She held Lisa's face and and made her look up at her.

"You are such an idiot, Lalisa Manoban."

"I know, I-mmph!"

Chaeyoung had shut her up with a kiss. 

At first, Lisa, who was caught by surprise, didn't react, but then she slowly responded to it.

Chaeyoung put all the things she felt into that kiss, if words could not get through to how she truly felt for her, maybe this could.

The rhythm of the kiss slowly built up in intensity. Chaeng's hands began to tangle up Lisa's hair, and the younger pulled her closer by holding on to her waist and her other hand at the base at the back of her neck.

Lisa's tounge began to beg for entrance, and she opened her mouth to let her in.

Chaeyoung whimpered a soft moan as the girl began to expertly play around her mouth, making her feel dizzy.

When they finally ran out of breath, they broke the kiss, panting hard.

Lisa grinned at her, then kissed her softly on the forehead.

Chaeyoung smiled.

"Once again, you are an idiot. But you are my idiot. I like you for who you are, your flaws and all, and I have seen you work hard to be a better person. Who you are to me is more than enough. Why would I ever let you leave without fighting for you until my dying breath? Don't underestimate me, Lisaya." she told her, pouting.

Lisa looked at her.

"Are you sure, Chaeyoung-ah?"

Chaeng rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Does this face look unsure to you?"

Lisa smiled widely.

"No."

"Good. So, now what?"

"Well, I guess there's just one thing left to do."

"What?"

Lisa looked at her shyly.

"Will you be my best friend and my girlfriend, Chaeyoung-ah?"

Chaeyoung grinned at her.

"Took you long enough. Hmmm...I'll think about it."

Lisa pouted. Chaeng laughed and pecked her lips.

"Impatient as always. Of course, it's a yes."

Lisa bit her lip and then smiled widely like an idiot.

"You just made me the happiest person in the world, Park."

"The feeling's mutual, Manoban."

They smiled at each other, and shared another kiss. They continued to be in each other's arms until their lunch break was finally at an end.


	43. Sun and Moon

Moonbyul hastily picked up her phone, which had been ringing incessantly while she was being lectured by her dad. She had been coming home late and he was not happy with her behavior, especially since she was about to graduate.

Him going on about the fact that Jisoo was a bad influence was becoming tiresome, and as usual she shook it off and didn't take him seriously.

Sure, she went home late and played around at times, but her exam scores were decent, she didn't bother with it too much because stuff just came easily to her. She wished her father would just trust her with it, like her mom, but there was nothing much she could do about it. 

She checked who was calling and swiped the green button once she got her confirmation.

"Mo, wassup?"

"Hey Byul, have you heard from Sooyoung tonight?" 

Moonbyul can hear the worried tone in her friend's voice.

"No I haven't. Why? Did something happen?"

"No, not really. It's just that she told me that she'd go do some investigating about what happened last time. She still hasn't responded to any of my messages."

Moonbyul grimaced, that didn't sound too good.

"Well, we all know how resourceful Sooyoung is, I know she can take care of herself. Maybe she's still trying to look for more information?" she reasoned. She didn't want Momo to worry.

"I don't know, Byul..."

"Have you told Seulgi and Jisoo yet?"

"I haven't. You know those two, they get all gung-ho when they start to worry."

"That's true. Anyway, what I can do is I'll try and message her. I'm sure she's fine. I'll be meeting Solar in a bit anyway, so maybe I can also check around."

"Okay, I'll try and reach her still. I really hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she is Mo, but just update me about anything about her okay? I'll do the same as well."

"Alright. Thanks."

"No prob. Anyway, I gotta go, Solar is waiting for me."

"Sure. Bye and you guys have fun."

"Will do."

Moonbyul then put the phone down and started heading out.

After about 10 minutes of walking, she reached her destination.

Solar had been hankering for some Korean barbecue so they decided to meet up at their favorite Korean barbecue resto.

Her date still had not arrived, as expected, so she decided to hang around outside while waiting for her.

She decided to send a message to Sooyoung, as she was getting worried as well. 

She told her to send her a message and soon as she read hers. For now, there was no point in worrying Seulgi and Jisoo

She sighed and put the phone back in her pocket.

She was still thinking about what she should do when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hey there, stranger."

"Hey, fancy meeting you here."

Solar laughed a little.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Nah, I just waited for maybe about 5 minutes."

"That's good, I was worried I would have to make you wait a little longer."

"You know I'd wait for you no matter how long."

Solar made a face.

"You're so cheesy!"

"Just say you like it!"

Solar just rolled her eyes.

"Let's head inside." she says while she grabs Moonbyul by the hand.

Once inside, they sat down and quickly gave the waitress their orders since they already knew what they wanted.

While they ate, they had fun talking about different topics that she eventually stopped worrying about Sooyoung.

Solar made her feel comfortable. They had been hanging out lately and although they had both confessed their attraction to each other, they had agreed that they didn't want anything serious for now.

They didn't need to complicate what they had, so instead of putting a label on it, they just went with the flow with whatever heights this agreement took them to.

Less headaches, which Moonbyul preferred.

They had finished their meal and they decided to walk around, reveling in each other's company.

Moonbyul was holding her hand while Solar was smiling at her.

"What?" Moonbyul asked.

"Nothing."

"You think I'm sexy, don't you?" 

Solar rolled her eyes.

"Really now?"

"Just admit it, you were the first to confess after all."

"Yeah, after you kissed me?"

"Which you liked."

"It was okay."

"Yeah...sure." Moonbyul grinned. Solar pinched her on the arm.

"Ouch! That hurt!"

"That's what you get...aw! Ouch! Damn, my neck!"

Moonbyul laughed, she was used to Solar suddenly having some sort of neck pain attacks. She pulled her close and massaged it slowly.

"Karma worked real fast."

"Whatever." Solar mumbled, closing her eyes as Moonbyul continued to massage her neck.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah...thanks."

Moonbyul then gave her a peck on her lips. 

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"Okay."

She held her hand again and was about to turn around when Moonbyul felt her phone ring.

"Wait just a sec, I need to get this."

She pulled out her phone from her pocket and checked who it was. She saw that it was Sooyoung and answered it immediately.

"Hello Soo! Damn, I'm glad you ca-"

"Byul, I need your help. They're after me." she heard Sooyoung say weakly.

 _Shit_.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the east corner near Yoon's bakery."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

"Please...hurry."

"Wait for me. I'll be there soon."

She ended the call and immediately sent a text to Momo.

She then looked at Solar who noticed right away that something was wrong.

"What's the matter?"

"I..look it's nothing important. I'm sorry I can't take you home. I need to meet up with Sooyoung."

"Alright, I'm going with you."

Moonbyul grimaced.

"I'm sorry, not tonight babe, alright? Please understand."

Solar crossed her arms.

"No. You don't usually react this way. I'm going and that is final."

Moonbyul didn't have time for this.

"It's too dangerous, alright? Just...just trust me."

Solar raised an eyebrow.

"I can take care if myself, you know that. My father trained me."

Moonbyul cursed her luck.

"Dammit fine! Let's go!" she says, holding her hand and pulling her along.

 _So stubborn! Wait for me Sooyoung_.

They both walked briskly towards their destination in silence.

Finally, they both arrived and Moonbyul immediately found Sooyoung slumped beside a trash bin.

"Soo!" she says, running towards her. Sooyoung looked up at her and smiled at her weakly.

"Hey Byul. I'm glad you're here."

She saw the girl had some cuts and bruises on her face. She kneeled down and inspected her friend's wounds.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

Sooyoung sighed.

"Somebody had ratted out that I was gathering information for our operation. My cover as Joy has been blown, Byul. We are going to be in trouble. I'm so sorry, I wasn't careful enough." she says, she then started sobbing.

Moonbyul hugged her, she didn't blame her for whatever happened.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's not your fault. You know how these guys are."

"Byul, they are going to kill us! If they find out who you guys are, they won't rest until they put each of us to rest!"

Moonbyul's blood ran cold. This was definitely no joke, but she can't show Sooyoung that she was scared. She needed her now.

"We'll figure it out, and we have each other. For now, let's go somewhere safe. I told Momo to meet me at home."

She then heard someone clearing her throat. She had forgotten that Solar was there with her.

"I know this is not the time, but let's bring Sooyoung over to my house, it's closer. Tell Momo too."

"I don't want you to get involved in this, Solar."

Solar looked at Moonbyul seriously.

"When I hear that your lives are being threatened, this is no longer a joke. Whatever you guys have been up to, you better come clean. Let's go, now, before it becomes unsafe."

Moonbyul gulped. She sent a quick message to Momo and helped Sooyoung up.

The three of them walked towards Solar's house. When they arrived, Momo was already there, waiting.

She ran towards them.

"Sooyoung!"

"Hey Mo." she answered, grinning at her.

Momo realized that her friend was wounded.

"My God, what happened?" she asked.

"Let's talk inside guys, I'm sure you need some rest and we need to treat Sooyoung's wounds."

Solar then went towards her door and unlocked it. She ushered them inside and helped Moonbyul make Sooyoung comfortable on the couch.

Solar got their first aid kit and helped tend to Sooyoung's wounds.

Finally when she had been fixed up, Solar looked at Moonbyul in the eyes.

"Explain."

"But-"

"Byul...just tell me. You can trust me, alright?"

Moonbyul sighed and looked at her two companions who seemed to be quite unsure about the situation.

Solar was waiting for her.

 _Arrrgh! Who cares at this point_?

She began to tell her the story of what has been happening to them. Solar was all ears.

Once done, Solar nodded and looked towards Sooyoung.

"Did you get jumped?"

"No. I was talking to one of the dealers when two guys confronted me and was telling me they knew about what I was doing and all. They then took me somewhere and asked me to name my other companions. When I declined they punched and kicked me. I was able to escape because one of them got distracted. They threatened to kill me and my friends."

"Alright. Did you guys ever went to the cops for help?"

"Yes we did, several times and still nothing. That's why we decided to take it into our own hands and do something about it."

"I see."

Solar was in deep thought. After a few minutes of silence, she then looked at the three of them.

"I am going to suggest something but I need you guys to hear me out. What you're doing is completely dangerous. Also, even if you never got caught by them, you can't do this forever. When you graduate or move out, what then? Drugs will still remain on the streets. Did you ever think about that? You still haven't affected any change."

The three of them were silent.

"However, I can help you. My Dad is a cop, and he's one of the good ones that you can trust. He has links to the DEA and I am 100% certain he will be able to help you with this. But you need to come clean with him. Don't worry, he won't be punishing you, but he is the best bet you have right now. You can't possibly run or go into hiding. They will most certainly find you."

Sooyoung licked her lips nervously.

"I dunno, there are officers under their payroll. Wouldn't that be too dangerous for us?"

"No, my dad will definitely make sure that no one has heard of you, he will make sure all of you are safe."

Momo looked at them.

"What do you think?"

Moonbyul thought about it.

"I think she has a point. But we need to tell Seulgi about this first. It will be harder for Jisoo. She might take things into her own hands. Let Seul talk to her about this."

"Yeah, I'll call Seulgi." Momo volunteered.

They watched as she moved away from them. After a few tries, she was able to reach Seulgi on her phone.

Moonbyul then glanced at Solar.

"Thank you."

Solar smiled.

"It's the least I could do."

They gazed at one another. Their trance was broken when they heard a snort.

"Keep it down, will you? I am NOT playing your third wheel." Sooyoung complained. Solar just giggled at her.

"Such a cockblock." Moonbyul quipped.

"Shut up. Ugh, you guys are going to be worse than Seulgi and Irene." she said.

Momo had ended the call and walked towards them.

"Well, I have finished speaking with her."

They all waited.

"And?" Sooyoung asked, not liking the suspense Momo was putting them through.

"And...she agreed! She is on her way here now."

Sooyoung exhaled.

" You could have just told us right away."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Sooyoung just rolled her eyes.

"Well, I guezs we'll wait for Seulgi to arrive. Do you have chips babe?" Moonbyul asked.

"Yep, getting them!" she says while standing up. Moonbyul watched as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well, I guess this is it."

"Yeah.." Momo agreed.

They turned silent again, wondering if this will work and if they can still continue staying safe.


	44. When The Heart Breaks, It Doesn't Break Even

Jisoo woke up to the shrill sound of her alarm clock.

She groaned and immediately turned it off. She then laid back down and put her pillow on top of her head, closing her eyes once again.

She was about to drift off to sleep when she felt something on her face. She opened one eye and saw Dalgom licking her awake.

"Ugh, Dalgomie. Leave me alone, I just need five minutes." she groaned.

"Jisoo, you better get up or you'll be late for school." her mom called out as she opened her door.

"Mom, I just need five minutes. Why can't you and Dalgom understand that I need my sleep to be able to complete my plot for world domination?"

Dalgom barked at her.

"Even Dalgom agrees with me that you need to finish highschool first before you begin plotting anything. Come on, or your breakfast might get cold."

"Ugh fine." she said, getting up and slowly stretched her limbs.

"I should put you back in that box." she grumbled at her dog, who happily began running around her room.

She smiled at him. He was cute, she had to admit. Even her mom fell in love with him at first sight and insisted on buying him all the things he needed.

She got up and started getting ready for school.

Once she was done, Jisoo went down to eat her breakfast, with Dalgom trailing along behind her. Her mom had prepared some bacon, eggs and toast. She quickly ate them and gave some bacon to Dalgom.

Her mom looked at her and gave her a teasing stern look.

"You're already starting to spoil him." Dara told her. 

"Me? I wasn't the one being all stressed out about the stuff we needed to buy for him last time. Plus, you always give him treats, he's going to get fat."

Dara pouted.

"He isn't going to get fat. It's what he deserves after being abandoned like that. Don't you agree, Dalgomie?"

Dalgom just tilted his head at her.

"Sure mom." she said, rolling her eyes.

Her mom gasped.

"I did not teach you to be rude, Kim Jisoo! From now on you must work and pay your rent and cook your own meals." 

"You can't mom, you love me too much."

Dara sighed dramatically, "Too much is right. I am so unlucky."

Jisoo laughed.

"Okay mom, whatever you say. Anyway, I have to go, I don't want to be late."

"Be careful and drive safely. I can never understand why you had to get a motorcycle."

"I'll be fine, mom. I love you." Jisoo says while pecking her cheek.

"I love you too, dear."

Jisoo smiled at her mom one last time and ruffled Dalgom's fur before heading outside.

School was a bore to her, as usual. But she had promised herself to do better and not make any more stupid decisions.

The talk of the town lately was the incident between Chaeyoung and Chanyeol in the cafeteria. Apprently, Chanyeol had tried to shame her, but Lisa had come to Chaeng's rescue and put that asshole in his place.

Not only that, it seems that both Chaeyoung and Lisa had worked out their issues and were now officially together.

The fact that it didn't bother her that much when she found out made her realize how superficial her feelings for Chaeyoung had been.

Seulgi was right, she needed to do something about this thing with Jennie.

The problem was, she didn't know where to start.

Also, she was still curious about Chaeyoung's connection with the daisy pin.

Lunchtime finally arrived, and Jisoo was staying at the same table where she and her friends usually ate.

While they were busy eating, she had noticed that Sooyoung was missing.

"Hey, where's Soo?" she asked curiously.

Jisoo observed that her friends started looking at each other. It was a bit suspicious, but she decided not to make a big deal out of it. It was probably nothing.

"She's sick. She contracted the flu and she told me she'll be staying home for a few days." Seulgi said.

Jisoo shrugged.

"Okay, I'll just message her later to check on her."

"She'll like that." Moonbyul said while biting her burger.

As they continued eating, the voices in the cafeteria grew louder. People were looking at a certain direction, and Jisoo followed their line of sight.

Right in front of them came in Lisa, together with Chaeyoung. Both of them were happily holding hands as a grumpy looking Jennie Kim was following behind them.

She gave a small smile. They looked cute together. She was also quite amused at how done Jennie seemed to be.

"So, I guess Chaesoo is out of the picture. You and Sooyoung owe us, Mo." Moonbyul told her friend.

"Nuh-uh, I don't owe you guys anything. Remember, Jensoo didn't happen."

"That's not how this works."

"Hey, we said either Chaesoo or Jensoo. There was no agreement waht would happen if ever any of them gets another girlfriend...or boyfriend. Besides, who knows, Chaeng might get bored with Lisa. This isn't totally over yet." Momo says, smirking.

"Chaesoo ain't happening, Mo. Have you seen how Chaeng looks at Lisa? Yeah? Nope." Seulgi spoke up.

"Eh."

Moonbyul decided to change the topic.

"So Jisoo, how does it feel that the "love of your life" already got herself a girlfriend?" Moonbyul asked her, using air quotes to emphasize her point.

Jisoo pursed her lips.

"Honestly? I am happy for them."

Momo stopped eating. Moonbyul looked at her as if she was some sort of stranger. Seulgi raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sick by any chance?" Momo asked her, putting her hand on her forehead.

"I-this is weird. I remember how you were so into her. You actually went back a year just for her. Did you forget?" Moonbyul told her incredulously.

"Yes, I do remember."

"I don't get it." Moonbyul stated.

"You finally realized it didn't you?" Seulgi asked her.

"Yeah, I did, and...you were right."

They looked at each other and Seulgi grinned at her.

"About time, Kim."

Momo and Moonbyul looked at the both of them.

"Hey, no fair! Tell us!" Momo said.

"I want to know what happened!" Moonbyul insisted.

Seulgi laughed.

"I'll tell you guys later. Anyway Jis, speaking of the devil." Seulgi informed her while nodding her head towards a certain direction.

Jisoo turned around and saw Jennie facing her, holding her tray shyly.

"Hey Chu, would you mind if I joined you guys? I kinda don't want to play third wheel to the lovebirds over there." she says, looking towards Chaeng and Lisa, who were too busy with each other to notice other people.

"Yeah, there's more than enough space. You don't mind guys right?"

They all shook their heads. 

"Great. Come on, sit down."

Jennie listened to her and took a seat beside Jisoo.

"Thank God, I thought I was going to have to hang out with them while they were still like this. I mean, to be honest, I am happy for them, but I wish they would tone it down a little, especially when they are with other people." Jennie complained.

"I bet you'd be even worse, seeing how clingy you already are with Jisoo." Seulgi teased her, while pointing a fry at her.

Jennie's face turned beet red.

"N-no I'm not!" she says defensively. All three friends laughed, while Jisoo just smiled cutely at her.

"I'm just kidding, Jen." Seulgi said, winking at her.

Jisoo was about to say something when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that it was Soojoo.

"Hey Jis! I was looking for you everywhere! I'm glad I finally found you." 

"Oh, hi Joo! Long time no see. What's up?"

Soojoo smiled at her and gave her a box.

"I was cooking some fried chicken for lunch, and I realized I had made one too many. So, since I know how much you love these, I'm giving the rest to you."

Jisoo's eyes perked up.

"Oh wow! Thanks Joo!"

"No problem. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you around." Soojoo said as she waved goodbye to her and her friends.

Jisoo grinned and looked at the box. Free chicken was always something to look forward to. 

She rubbed her hands and was about to open the box when she felt Seulgi nudge at her side. She furrowed her eyebrows and saw her use her mouth to point towards Jennie.

Jisoo looked at her and saw the mandu frowning heavily at her food.

She was puzzled, but she didn't want Jennie to feel left out at their table.

"Hey Jendeuk, is everything okay?"

"Yes." she said, and Jisoo saw her sigh.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Anyway, I just realized, I'm not really that hungry. I'll just...try and find Irene. I'll see you later. I'm sorry guys." she says as she stood up, took her bag and walked away, leaving Jisoo with her mouth hanging open.

All three of her friends laughed.

"Oh my God, how dense can you be?" Seulgi said, shaking her head.

"But...I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"

Moonbyul rolled her eyes.

"Nevermind that. Go after her you idiot!"

"W-what?"

"Jisoo just go after her! God dude! Hurry up!" Momo says, pulling her up and pushing her towards Jennie's direction.

"Okay, okay, I'm going! Geez." she says as she chases after Jennie. 

As she followed her, she saw her enter the restroom. She quickly went towards that direction.

When she went in, she saw Jennie staring at herself in front of the mirror, her face looked sad and confused.

"Jendeuk." Jisoo called out to her. 

Jennie looked at her wearily and heaved a sigh.

"What are you doing here Jisoo?" she asked.

Jisoo bit her lip.

"To be honest, I don't know. I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but all I know is I hate seeing you so sad."

"I already told you I'm fine."

"It doesn't look like you are." she says as she tries to go near her.

Jennie swallowed.

"Jisoo, can you not, please?"

Jisoo stopped, and looked confused.

"Why, what's wrong?"

Jennie pinched the bridge of her nose. She inhaled and then looked at Jisoo.

"You. You are what's wrong."

Jisoo got taken aback by what she said.

"W-w-what?" she spluttered.

Jennie gritted her teeth.

"You are what's wrong because I can't stand being around you."

Jisoo felt like a rock had fallen into the pit of her stomach.

"I don't understand..." she says helplessly.

Jennie stared into Jisoo's eyes, she could see the conflicting emotions within them, as if she was at war with herself. Finally, Jennie breathed in heavily and clenched her fists.

"Jisoo...I can't stand being around you because...because everytime you're there, I don't want to leave."

_Wait, what?_

"I hate it when I can't control these emotions. I absolutely enjoy spending time with you, but at the same time, I hate it. Because I notice that you've got all these girls hanging around you and all I could think of is that I am probably just a number to you if it goes further than that. Yes, we're friends, but I realize that I don't only see you as one and that can be problematic." 

Jisoo was too shocked to say anything at that moment.

"And now, I have officially fucked myself over by telling you this. I just couldn't take it anymore, pretending I don't feel anything when I obviously do. I hate it that I really like you so much that it hurts." Jennie tells her while looking into her eyes.

She could see the sincerity and desperation within them.

Although she wanted to say something, Jisoo was frozen on the spot. Her mind was trying to process everything at once that she swore her brain was short circuiting from trying to cope up with what was happening.

_Jennie likes me? Jennie really like LIKES me?_

Jennie gave her a humorless grin, and then looked down at the floor.

"I know you're not the type to look for anything serious, but I don't want to be just another notch on your bedpost either. I don't want to impose something that you feel you don't want. If that is all there is, I guess it's best that we stay away from each other." Jennie says, eyes brimming with tears as Jisoo continued to stare at her, obviously too dumbstruck to do anything.

"Anyway, thank you for listening, as always and...and thank you...for everything." she says in closing, and was about to head out when Jisoo stood in front of her.

Jennie looked at her, surprise written all over face.

Jisoo didn't know what to do, but she was only certain about how she felt.

She wanted to tell her everything, all the pent up emotions that were being kept inside of her, but her mind couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. 

So instead, she did the next best thing that she could think of.

Jisoo looked into her eyes, then cupped both her hands on Jennie's face. She smiled gently at her, then began to move forward to slowly close the gap between them.

As soon as she had captured Jennie's soft lips, adrenaline rushed into her veins. It was as if this was the first time in a long time that she felt truly alive.

If Jisoo could describe it, kissing Jennie was like seeing fireworks for the first time. Awe-inspiring and would leave a lasting impression on you forever.

She had kissed a ton of girls before, and yes, some were really good, but this was in a league of it's own.

Jennie tasted like strawberries, and the kiss held a feeling of tenderness and affection, as if everything wrong in the world didn't matter because this moment felt so right. 

Jisoo didn't want the kiss to end, but she wanted to make sure that Jennie wasn't too overwhelmed with everything at that moment.

She pulled back and gazed at her, Jennie looking quite shocked with the sudden turn of events.

Jisoo grinned at her.

"Chu...I..."

She looked like she was about to have a panic attack. Jisoo quickly held her hands and squeezed them.

"Hey, hey, it's okay."

Jennie looked at her, she seemed unsure of what to do. 

Suddenly, she pulled back, she didn't look calm at all. She looked at Jisoo one more time.

"I-I'm sorry."

She then bumped into her and ran outside.

"Jendeukie! Wait!" 

Jennie didn't turn back.

Jisoo decided not to chase her, she felt that Jennie needed some time to herself.

But it didn't change the fact that it hurt to watch her retreating figure.

**************************************

Jisoo was still feeling sad when school had ended. She was afraid that she might have scared Jennie off.

She sat on one of the benches and stared off into the distance. She should have not kissed Jennie, she knew the girl had an aversion to relationships or anything close to it.

Regardless if she had feelings for Jisoo or not, she should have thought it through. Now she didn't know if her actions destroyed any chance she had with her.

She was still deep in thought when someone sat beside her. Jisoo looked at the person.

"Hey."

"Hey Chaeng."

Chaeyoung smiled at her.

"Need some company?"

"I dunno, not really."

"Your face says otherwise."

Jisoo let out a breath.

"I just have a penchant for making stupid decisions."

Chaeyoung chuckled.

"Don't we all."

"Yeah, but I seem to do it a lot more than most people."

Chaeyoung smiled fondly.

"That actually reminds me of someone I know. Rest assured, just because you think you seem to make these kinds of decisions more than other people, doesn't mean that there's nothing good inside of you."

Jisoo shrugged.

"I dunno."

"I don't think so. More importantly, Jennie doesn't either."

Jennie.

"Yeah, that might not be the case now."

"Why? Did something happen?"

Jisoo contemplated about telling Chaeyoung. She decided she was a person she could trust, she had proven herself time and time again.

"Uhh..well. I kinda...kissed her earlier. She had confessed to me about how she felt, and me, being a dumbass couldn't say anything. So I did what I did. After that happened, she ran away. I'm afraid I might have scared her off."

Chaeyoung nodded in understanding.

"I see what you mean. I guess it really might have scared her, Jennie is very wary when it comes to these things after all, so it's understandable why she reacted that way."

"That's why I shouldn't have kissed her."

Chaeyoung wrinkled her eyebrows.

"We don't know that yet, it's too early to tell. Oh, by the way, I am curious about something."

Jisoo looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Are you certain about your feelings for her?"

Jisoo became quiet. She had thought about this for a while, and she was sure of her answer.

"Yes...yes I am."

Chaeyoung smiled.

"Then, show her. Prove to her that you are more than what your reputation says you are. Actions speaks louder than words after all. Jennie by nature doesn't trust easily, so if she can just have something to anchor herself to, she'll decide to finally make that jump."

She knew Chaeng was right.

"You are really excellent at making people feel at ease, do you know that? Lisa is lucky to have you."

Chaeyoung smiled shyly.

"Nooo, not really. I just like to listen to people, that's all."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short."

Chaeyoung just grinned.

She guessed it was time.

"Oh, by the way, do you remember that one time when you were a Freshman and you were talking to someone hidden behind one of the buildings here?"

Chaeng looked at her, puzzled.

"Uh...yeah. Wait, how do you know about that?"

"Well...I was actually the person crying behind that buidling." Jisoo says sheepishly, while rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Oh really?!"

"Yeah, please don't tell anybody."

Chaeyoung laughed.

"Oh my God! I would never have guessed! But of course, I won't, I promise."

"Good, I do trust you on that. Anyway, the reason why I'm telling you this is because for a long time now, I really wanted to ask about that quote you told me. The one about courage. It was something quite familiar to me, so I'm just curious about who had given you that saying."

"Oh that! Yeah, let me see...that quote. Hmm...let me think. I can't seem to recall who it was, but...wait...oh! Oh yeah! It was Jennie."

Jisoo's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Jennie. It was Jennie Kim, the one person who you can't keep your mind off today."

"Jennie?"

"Yes, Jennie."

Jisoo's heart seemed to stop. She then recalled the day when Jennie had asked her about that daisy pin, and she had ran away. 

_Shit. She knew! How could I not have realized that? God I am such an idiot!_

She now understood the reason why when she first saw her, she felt something so familiar about her. The reason why she couldn't really quite grasp why being with her felt like home.

She slowly got up.

"Thank you, Chaeng."

"Yeah, no problem."

Jisoo stood there, still dumbstruck about the revelation that Chaeyoung started to worry.

"Jis, you okay?"

"Yeah...I just...I need to find her."

"Okay..."

Jisoo smiled and then hugged Chaeyoung.

"Thank you!"

She ran away, leaving a very confused Chaeng in her wake.

Jisoo searched the corridors for Jennie. She was certain the girl was still here somewhere, she could feel it. She needed to find her. 

As she ran around the building, she bumped into Seulgi, who was very surprised when she saw who it was.

"Hey, hey! Jis, slow down!"

Jisoo's eyes grew wide when she saw that it was her best friend.

She held on to her shoulders and grinned at her.

"Seul! Seul! It's her! It's her!"

"Whoa!, whoa, whoa! Slow down! Are you sure you're not hyperventilating?"

"Seul, listen! It's her!"

"Jesus, can you just take a breath for one second? What do you mean it's her?"

"Jennie...she's the one. The one who gave me the daisy pin!"

Seulgi groaned.

"Jisoo, not this again."

"No, I'm serious this time. Chaeyoung confirmed it when she told me who had given her that quote."

"Jisoo, anyone could have been given that quote."

"I understand what you mean. But I realized, it is really her because when she was staying at my place, she had asked me about it for some reason, and then suddenly ran away when I told her the story."

"Are you going to be obsessed about this again like you were with Chaeng? When you thought you were in love with her because you thought it was her who gave you that pin? Then you accidentally confessed to Jennie instead of her? You even haven't told her about what really happened that day. Now you're going to be all up on her because of that pin?"

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it about then?"

Seulgi and Jisoo spun around when they heard someone else talk.

Jisoo's heart stopped when she saw who it was.

Jennie was looking at the both of them, her eyes were full of hurt and betrayal.

"Jen..." she said as she started to go near her.

Jennie put one of her hands up.

"No Jisoo, don't."

Jennie's lips were trembling, her eyes were now heavy with tears.

"You know what? I know what I did earlier was unfair, I hadn't stopped to think about what you might feel regarding all of this. I wanted to give this a chance, because...because you are important to me. But, damn it, I was right. I was right. I can't trust to give my heart to anyone."

I-Jen...please, let's talk about this."

Jennie shook her head, tears were now starting to cascade down her face. It was the absolute worse feeling for Jisoo, seeing her like this.

"No, I think I've heard enough."

"But..."

"I'm-God I am so stupid. Anyway, congratulations. You are the only person..." she then looked down and smiled sadly, "...well aside from my parents anyway. You are the only person who has succeeded in winning and breaking my heart at the same time."

She looked at Jisoo one last time, and walked away.


	45. Enough

‼TRIGGER WARNING‼

  
Jennie was slowly walking away from the scene. Her legs felt as if they were weighted with lead; her breathing pattern starting to get erratic.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes, she tried to, but everytime she did, a new wave would come crashing down as she remembered the conversation she heard.

Why did it hurt so much?

Why did it feel like her heart was about to explode from all the pain she was feeling?

She closed her eyes as she tried to even out her breathing. 

She heard footsteps from behind, she didn't really want to face her yet, but here she was.

"Please Jisoo, please...just leave me alone." she says, not wanting to deal with this right now.

She heard the footsteps stop.

"Jen, please, let me explain."

Jennie clenched her fists then turned around to face her. Jisoo looked at her with sorrowful eyes, her expression full of guilt and remorse.

She didn't let it get to her.

"Explain what exactly, Jisoo? Are you going to explain to me how you treated my like a fool?"

Jisoo shook her head.

"I'm the fool Jennie. It was a stupid mistake, I should've told you about it earlier."

"Then why didn't you?"

Jisoo paused, she fidgeted a bit, then took a deep breath.

"I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

Jisoo looked into her eyes.

"I was scared of losing you."

Jennie laughed, oh the irony of it all.

"Well congratulations! This is the consequence of your decision." she says as she turns around to leave, but Jisoo stops her by gripping her hand.

She hated it, she hated how warm her hand felt on hers, how she just wanted to turn around and forget about what happened.

"Let me go, Jisoo." 

She does as what she was told.

"Jennie, please give me a chance, please. I want to fix this, I really want to do right by you." she says.

"Why? Because you found out I was the one who gave you the pin?"

"No..."

"Are you sure? Because from what I heard, you were SUPPOSED to confess to Chaeng instead of me right? Because you liked her. You liked her for the fact that you thought it was her who gave you the pin. Are you going to tell me you like me now just because of that?"

Jisoo gritted her teeth.

"I don't like you just because I found out you gave the pin."

Jennie sighed.

"I really want to believe you Jisoo, I do. But after everything, it's so hard to trust you now. I don't know what is real and what isn't."

"I know..."

Jennie closed her eyes. She had to make a decision.

"I'm sorry Jisoo, but after everything, it's best that you just leave me alone. I don't want to see you, be with you, or have anything to do with you at all. If you care about me even just a little, you would respect my wishes." she tells her. 

She saw Jisoo swallow hard as she looks at Jennie. Finally, she nods.

"If that is what makes you happy, Jendeukie."

Jennie gave her a weak smile, then turns around again.

This time, Jisoo doesn't stop her.

**************************************

Jennie stared blankly at the book she was trying to read. She was doing her best to finish the assignment for her English class, but it was futile.

She finally closed it in frustration and rubbed her eyes, she felt so tired. 

It wasn't surprising, she barely slept and because of that, she was unable to focus in class.

Her friends had noticed the changes in her attitude. She was crankier than usual and she ate very little. Nothing seemed to interest her, and she just wanted to go home and lock herself in her room.

Irene had tried to talk to her about it, but she refused, telling her that she was fine.

Her best friend knew better than to push her, and Jennie was certain that she was aware of what had happened. 

Instead, Irene sat with her quietly when she could, trying to cheer her up and asking her to eat properly.

She hated how she was like this. She shouldn't be this affected, but she couldn't help it. 

A week had already passed since that incident happened, and Jisoo kept her word by staying away from her.

But she couldn't deny that she missed her badly. She missed her lame dad jokes, she missed their witty banter, her giving in to what she wanted. She missed talking about silly things, late night phone conversations, her warm smile, her physical presence.

Plus the fact that the kiss they shared was tattoed on her mind. It haunted her dreams and kept her awake.

Being kissed by Jisoo was amazing, it made her feel so many different things, but most importantly, it made her feel safe and loved.

It was too good to be true.

That's why she panicked, she couldn't process what was happening. It was too raw, too real, the possibility of her probably feeling the same way she did. It scared her, because that meant opening up herself to her even more. That meant letting her in. She feared that at some point in time, they would end up like her parents, hating and hurting each other and the people around them.

But of course, her fears were realized when she heard Jisoo's conversation with Seulgi. She was actually looking for her so they could talk. Jennie had seen her running around the building, and when she finally had gotten close to her, Jisoo had bumped into Seulgi and that was it.

That's when she decided it's best to just give it up.

It hurt more than she could ever imagine.

Why did she have to fall for her? Why?

Her life was fine until she came along. 

_Jisoo doesn't feel the same way you do, Jennie. Deal with it._

She sighed and got up. Might as well try to find another book to add in for her assignment.

When she was done browsing and getting what she needed, she went back to her table.

She was about to sit down when she noticed that someone had placed a burger on top of her notebook. There was a note attached to it.

She picked it up and read it's contents:

_I hope this helps you finish your homework on time. :)_

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around, she didn't see anyone she recognized.

She opened it and her eyes perked up.

It was her favorite avocado burger!

She looked around once more, trying to see who it was, but she wasn't able to find them.

She wondered if Irene had left this for her, she had been quite persistent about her eating habits lately.

Her stomach began to rumble, she realized she was so hungry, so she sat down on her seat, careful to check in case she was spotted by the librarian.

Finally, when she saw that the coast was clear, she took a bite.

A big smile then formed on her face, the most genuine one she had in days.

She munched her food happily, thanking the heavens for whoever had sent this to her.

Once she was done eating, she felt some energy seep back into her body. She grabbed her pen and began working on her paper with renewed vigor.

After about 40 minutes, she was finally done, and she let out a satisfied smile.

Maybe things were starting to look up after all. She began to fix her stuff, just in time too because Miss Pae, the school's librarian, was informing them that the library was about to close soon.

Once she was sure she had everything in her bag, she stood up, feeling an extra spring in her step.

Who knew an Avocado burger would help lift up her spirits?

She was about to walk out the door when she accidentally bumped into someone.

Looking up, she saw a red faced Jisoo, who looked down as soon as she met her eyes.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

Jennie's heart raced as soon as she caught sight of her, but she made sure that she had a neutral expression on her face, she didn't want her to think that she was very affected by what happened. 

She brushed past her and continued walking outside.

She saw Kai, who was walking from a different direction.

He smiled at her and waved.

"Hey Jennie!"

"Hi Kai."

"Were you finishing some work at the library?"

"Yeah, I had to make sure that I'm going to pass that English paper due by tomorrow."

He nodded.

"Oh yeah, THAT. I had to make sure to complete it before practice started, or else I would be too distracted."

She laughed.

"Well then, that's good that you made sure to finish it beforehand."

"Indeed!" he says while blowing a strand of hair away from his eyes.

"So uh, you headed home?" he asked.

"Yes, I am."

He smiled shyly at her.

"Well, I'm headed somewhere near your place. You can hitch a ride with me if you want." he offered.

She was about to answer when Jisoo was suddenly beside her.

"It's fine, I'll be the one to take her home." she told Kai.

Kai was just as surprised as she was when he saw her.

Jisoo was staring at him as she put an arm around Jennie's shoulder. She was still too shocked by her sudden arrival to react.

"Oh, uhm okay. Cool, no worries! Well, it was nice seeing you guys. I'll be heading off then, take care!" he says grinning, and waved a goodbye to the both of them.

Jennie finally got over her initial reaction and shook off Jisoo's arm.

"What is your problem?" she asked angrily.

She shrugged.

"He's friends with that Chanyeol and I don't trust their group." she simply answered.

"Kai isn't like that."

Jisoo fixed the hair out of her face.

She hated how a simple move like that made her heart flutter.

"I just don't want you ending up like Chaeyoung."

"I can take care of myself, thanks."

Jisoo nodded. Jennie had noticed how tired she looked. 

"Alright, I'll get out of your hair then." she told her, and walked away.

She wanted so bad to stop her, but she didn't.

Her good mood had been short-lived. She sighed and decided to head on home.

When she finally arrived, she could hear two voices arguing inside the living room.

She rolled her eyes.

Great, her dad was here.

She was about to go upstairs when she heard her name being mentioned by her mom.

She stayed behind to eavesdrop in on their conversation.

"All I am asking is that you give some of your time to Jennie! Your daughter has been feeling down for a few days now and she could use our support!"

"You know how busy I am Chaerin! I am sure whatever she's feeling, it's just some normal teenager blues that everyone goes through. She'll be fine, and you are here aren't you?" she heard her father say.

So her mother had noticed how sad she had been. No wonder she had tried to spend some extra time with her. Her heart warmed at the thought.

Her father on the other hand, well, let's just say she wasn't too surprised.

"You know, I don't care if you hate my guts, or fuck with whatever woman that so much as looks at you, but at least be a father to your own daughter! That isn't so hard!"

"Oh! So now you're questioning my parenting skills? We both know you aren't any different!"

She heard her mother huff in frustration.

"Goddamit, I am trying my best, Jiyong! It's not too late to show our daughter that we love her!"

"Are you telling me that I don't love my own daughter?!"

"Don't put words into my mouth! All I am trying to say is that we also need to show her actions instead of just words!"

"Don't accuse me of not loving Jennie, Chaerin! You know how much I have done for her! I have provided her a good home, given her everything she needs! There isn't anything that she is lacking!"

"Yes there is! She is lacking the love and care of her parents!"

"You shut your filthy mouth! Do you remember who convinced you from stopping the abortion? Huh? IT WAS ME! Jennie wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!"

Jennie's heart stopped.

 _What_?

She heard a slap.

But it was as if she had felt it on her own face. 

"What did you say?" she croaked. Her parents turned around, and her mother's eyes widened when she saw her.

"Jennie. Jennie, baby, it's not what you think. Please let me explain." her mother told her as she moved towards her.

How many times must she hear that line?

The pain in her heart was tremendous. 

She wasn't aware that her tears had started to fall. 

She began to sob uncontrollably, every breath she took felt like a chore. 

Her teeth were clenched as she let out an agonizing scream. She put her palm on her chest and gripped at her shirt. It felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces, and no one could fix it.

Her mother tried to hug her.

"Jennie, Jennie, please."

She fought her off and kicked her away.

What did she do to deserve this?

"Jennie!" her mother sobbed, trying her best to gain control of the situation.

Jennie glared at her.

"You should have done it. Then, you wouldn't have had any problems trying to convince me that you actually care for me!" she spat.

Then, she turned around and ran away. 

She heard her mother and father call out to her, but she didn't care.

She ran, and kept on running until her legs couldn't take it anymore.

Finally, she slumped herself into a quiet corner inside an alley.

She buried her face in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

She felt so alone.

When she finally started to calm down, she leaned against the wall and stared blankly at her surroundings.

The first person that swam into her mind was Kim Jisoo.

Her heart ached even further at the thought of her. She wished she was here, but, like her parents, Jisoo had existed to only hurt and disappoint her in the end.

She only had herself and her friends.

She continued to stare at the space in front of her until the sun set and the stars started twinkling in the sky.

Time was no longer a factor to her. She didn't care anymore.

She didn't know what to do. All she wanted right now was just to feel the pain, maybe she somehow deserved it.

She didn't want to impose in on her friends either. This was her problem, not theirs.

Suddenly, she heard some footsteps nearby.

She looked up and saw two burly men walking towards her direction.

They stopped in front of her and they looked at each other.

They seemed to be having an argument, but she couldn't hear them.

Finally, one of them, the taller of the two, approached her and squatted in front of her.

"You know a person named Kim Jisoo?" he asked her directly.

She just stared back at him.

"Hey, I'm asking you a question!"

She remained silent.

"I think she's the girlfriend. Many people see them together all the time." the other guy said.

She didn't even bother to correct him.

"So, you're important to her, huh?" Tall guy asked.

She wished she was important to Jisoo.

"What a bitch, she's trying to irritate you by not answering." Guy 2 stated.

The tall guy gripped her face.

"You better cooperate if you know what's good for you!"

Jennie remained unbothered.

"Hey, let's take her back to the base. The boss might know how to deal with her."

"Yeah, you may have a point."

He stood up and grabbed Jennie by the arm, effectively forcing her to stand up.

"You're coming with us!" he said as he tied up her arms and blindfolded her.

She didn't even fight back.

Everything went dark after that.


	46. Wonderwall

‼‼ TRIGGER WARNING ‼‼

_The summer heat was sweltering hot, but Jisoo had no choice but to sit down outside of of their house. One strap of her denim jumper shorts was dangling loosely by her side. She did it on purpose, as her pink shirt was starting to get damp from her sweat._

_She didn't understand why, but Jin always had to ask her to go outside whenever her dad was mad._

_He also told her to stay in front of their porch and never talk to strangers until everything was okay again._

_She didn't like it but Jin always promised her stuff so she just listened to him._

_She smiled as she took from her pocket a piece of paper. She tore a small portion of it, put it in her mouth, and munched on it._

_She didn't know why but she really liked eating paper. It was calming._

_She looked up and was suddenly startled when she saw a small girl glaring at her. Her hair was tied up in pigtails and she wore a flowery sundress._

_She had her hands on her hips and her cheeks were puffed up. She looked like an angry kitten, which Jisoo found both funny and cute._

_Jisoo smiled widely at her._

_"Nyeongan!" she greeted, waving at her._

_The girl's eyebrows met together in confusion._

_"Nyeongan? What's that?"_

_"It means hello!"_

_"Why can't you say hello normally?"_

_"Because that would be boring."_

_"But people will not understand you."_

_"They will when I tell them what it is."_

_The girl then pointed at what she was holding._

_"Why are you eating paper? You can't eat paper. That is gross."_

_Jisoo shrugged._

_"I like it. You want some?"_

_"Yuck. No."_

_"Okay."_

_Jisoo took another portion and ate it. The other girl was staring at her. Who was this? She never saw her around before._

_The girl finally went near her and took away her paper._

_"Hey! Give that back!"_

_The girl pouted at her._

_"No! That's dirty. I am saving you, so you should be thankful. You want to have a tummyache?"_

_"Ppoong!"_

_"What?"_

_"You should not take anyone's stuff you dwarf!"_

_The girl glowered at her._

_"I am not a dwarf! I am five and my mommy says I will grow tall and beautiful when I am older. Unlike you if you keep on eating paper!"_

_"You're mean."_

_"I am not mean."_

_Jisoo stood up._

_"Give it back!"_

_"No!"_

_The small girl ran and Jisoo went after her. She was a bit taller, so she almost caught up to her when suddenly, the girl tripped on a tree branch and hit her face first into the grass._

_Jisoo froze, then suddenly, she heard the girl bawl loudly._

_Jisoo was still kind of miffed that she had taken her paper, but she felt pity for the crying girl._

_She walked up to her and helped her sit up. The girl was still sobbing so Jisoo wiped the dirt off of her dress and from her face._

_"Are you okay?" Jisoo asked._

_The girl nodded vigorously but was still crying._

_She wiped away her tears._

_"There now. Don't cry."_

_The girl's lower limp trembled as she looked at Jisoo._

_"I-it hurts."_

_Jisoo looked at her, worried._

_"Where does it hurt?"_

_The girl looked down and Jisoo followed with her eyes and saw that her right knee was bleeding._

_"Oh no, we need to clean that up. My mom says that it is important when you have a cut."_

_The small girl looked at her with big innocent eyes. Jisoo smiled kindly at her._

_"Here, my mom does this when I am hurt and it helps a little."_

_She wipes away a bit of the blood and blows on it a few times, then she kisses the wound._

_"There all better now."_

_The girl gave her a huge gummy smile, although her tears were still flowing._

_It made her feel a bit lighter._

_"What is your name? I'm Jisoo Turtle Rabbit Kim."_

_The girl sniffed._

_"That's a silly name."_

_"But it's my name." Jisoo says proudly._

_"If you say so. My name is Nini."_

_Jisoo took her hand and helped her stand up._

_"Okay Nini. From now on, even if you took my paper, you'll be my friend okay?"_

_"Okay Chichu."_

_"Chichu?"_

_"Yes. It's easier to remember."_

_Jisoo shrugged._

_"Alright. So, show me to your house so we can have that cured right away."_

_Nini nodded and held her hand tightly as they walked towards her house which was just across from hers._

_***_

_Nini was just there for the summer with her grandma since her parents were busy with work._

_Jisoo and her became fast friends. Seulgi was away with her family for a vacation, and she was happy she got a new playmate._

_Although she can be a bit bossy sometimes, she would still follow what Jisoo wanted to do that day._

_She easily laughed at her jokes and was always stuck to her like how gum sticks to your shoes, but not annoying like that._

_Though one time she had forced Jisoo to eat avocado, and she hated it. But Nini insisted and so she did because she wanted to see her gummy smile. For some reason she was addicted to it, that's why she always did her best to make her laugh._

_Nini had the prettiest smile after all._

_In the end, she did learn how to appreciate the taste of avocado._

_Nini always did what she wanted when she could get away with it._

_There was a time when they were checking out a neighbor's garage sale, and Jisoo had fallen in love with a small lamp with colorful lights._

_She was mesmerized by it and she really wanted to buy it, her mom and Jin gave her some spending money after all, but Nini had stopped her._

_"Don't buy that." she says, frowning._

_"But I like it. I think it will look good in my room."_

_"It looks useless and ugly. Let's go find some other stuff."_

_"But-"_

_"Come on! I think I see something cool!" Nini says as she drags her along._

_She had come back a while later without Nini to get the lamp, but unfortunately, someone had already beat her to it._

_She felt sad, she had really wanted that lamp._

_Nini was sleeping over tonight so she tried to cheer up, but she was still feeling down._

_"Chichu, what's wrong? You look sad." Nini asks her when she was listlessly playing with her favorite pink rabbit stuffed toy who she named Gaji._

_"I'm okay Nini." she says, not wantimg to disappoint her friend._

_Nini smiled at her._

_"I know how to cheer you up!"_

_"How?"_

_"I'll show you! First, just jump on the bed, sit down and close your eyes!"_

_Jisoo did as she was told._

_"Okay, my eyes are closed."_

_She could hear the other girl rustling about._

_"Don't open them until I say so, okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_She wondered what the other girl was planning. She then heard a click and could sense the room had gone darker._

_"Nini? Did you turn off the lights? You know you're scared of the dark right?"_

_"I am but you're here Chu, so I'm not afraid." she says._

_A few seconds pass and Jisoo was getting impatient. She was about to question her when she felt somebody jump onto the bed beside her and held her hand._

_"Okay Chu, when I count one two and...and..."_

_"Three."_

_"Yes, three, you open your eyes, okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_"Cool! Here goes! One...two...three!"_

_Jisoo opened her eyes and gasped when she saw what Nini had prepared for her._

_The room was alight in different colors. It made it look like they were somewhere in outer space._

_When she looked at what was causing it, she smiled, because she saw that it was the lamp she had wanted at the garage sale earlier._

_"Tada!" Nini said, putting her hands up in the air and giving her the biggest gummy smile._

_"But I thought you said it was useless and ugly."_

_"Maybe a little, but I wanted to get it for you. So I bought it and Mr. Jung gave it to me for this much!" she says, holding up 5 fingers proudly._

_"It was all of my money."_

_She remembered Nini showing her she had 5 cents earlier._

_"Wow. Thank you Nini!"_

_"Are you happy now?" she asked hopefully._

_"Very!" Jisoo says, grinning widely at her._

_"Good!"_

_Jisoo covered them both with the blanket as they lay down and looked at the lights._

_"Nini?"_

_"Chu?"_

_"When I feel sad, I'll just look at the lights. It makes me think of the stars outside."_

_"Okay, Chu." she says as she started to yawn sleepily._

_"And you know what else?"_

_"What else? Hurry up, I'm sleepy."_

_Jisoo chuckled. She held up her palm, the lights hitting on it as she did._

_"You're my brightest star in this sky."_

_**_

_Jisoo was playing with Gaji inside her room when she heard a loud thump outside._

_Curious, she opened the door and went out to investigate. She could hear some yelling downstairs. It seems her mom and dad were fighting again._

_Her heart pounded as she went slowly descended the stairs. Jin was not home yet as he had some important things to do at school._

_When she finally got to the living room, she saw her mom sobbing and her dad looking angrily at her._

_"Stop this Seunghyun! Do you want Jisoo to see how you are when you're drunk?"_

_"Shut up you bitch! Who were you flirting with today, huh? You think I didn't see that?"_

_"Hyun, I was just asking for help about the garden, nothing more, I swear. I would never do that to you."_

_"LIES!" her father screamed and hit her mom in the face._

_Jisoo's eyes were as wide as saucers when she saw what happened. Never had she expected to see her dad hit her mom like that._

_She stood, frozen. She was scared, and she didn't know what to do._

_"Seunghyun, please! I'm sorry! I swear it wasn't anything!" her mother pleaded as cried helplessly on the floor._

_Her dad hit her again._

_Jisoo couldn't tear herself away. Tears were stinging in her eyes. She wanted to hurt her father for doing that to her mom._

_She now understood why Jin asked her to go out whenever her father started getting angry._

_As she watched her father hit her again, a deep seated rage coursed through her small body._

_She then ran towards him, yelling, as she tried to push him away from her mom._

_Her small fists were pounding against his leg as she sobbed angrily._

_"DON'T HURT MY MOM! STOP HURTING HER!"_

_"Jisoo, no!" her mother yelled at her._

_She continued pounding her fists into him when she felt strong arms hold both her hands._

_Her father looked into her eyes, and as she stared back, she no longer recognized him as the jolly person who gave her piggy back rides and made her laugh._

_It felt like she was staring back into the eyes of a demon._

_"You dare disrespect me?" he yelled at her. Her heart was pounding in fear. He was about to do something when she felt someone take her away from his grasp._

_She looked back and saw it was Jin._

_"Dad, let's talk about this." he says to him calmly._

_"But she needs to be punished."_

_"Dad. Please. I'll do whatever you want." he says, Jisoo could hear the strain in his voice._

_"Fine. Make it quick."_

_Jin then put Jisoo down and looked at her sister._

_"You go to Nini's okay? I'll get you tomorrow."_

_"But oppa-"_

_"Please Jisoo, everything will be okay. Trust me, alright?"_

_Jin looked at her and smiled. She trusted her brother a lot so she nodded._

_She then looked at them all before she ran out and left._

_Her heart tore at the the thought of what was actually happening._

_She felt so useless and scared._

_She ran and knocked on the door of Grandma Kim, who immediately opened it._

_"Jisoo. What are you doing here?"_

_"Jin says I have to stay here tonight."_

_Grandma Kim seemed to understand. She nodded and sighed._

_"Nini is upstairs. Just go straight to her room."_

_Jisoo did as she was told, but before she could reach the top, she heard Grandma Kim muttering._

_"How many times must I call the cops on this poor family? They have done nothing! Are they going to wait till something really bad happens?"_

_Jisoo then went up and knocked on her friend's door._

_Nini opened it and was surprised when she saw who it was._

_"Chichu! You're here!" she says happily, but her smile faded when she saw the trembling girl._

_"Chu! Are you okay?" she asks, worried._

_Jisoo's tears finally spilled out as she sobbed uncontrollably in front of her._

_Nini was at a loss on what to do, so she did the first thing she could think of, and that was to wrap Jisoo into her arms tightly._

_"Chichu, don't cry! Crying makes me sad too."_

_Jisoo felt Nini sob as well, so she tried her best to hold back her tears as she hugged her in return._

_She felt comforted by it, even just a tiny bit._

_She finally let go and looked at a crying Nini._

_She laughed a little as she saw the state of the girl._

_"Nini, why are you crying?"_

_She sniffled._

_"Because seeing Chu cry hurts here." she says, pointing towards her chest. "I don't want to see Chichu cry."_

_Jisoo held her hand and they both went into her room._

_She was still kind of shocked about what she had witnessed and she was angry at herself for being scared._

_Nini was holding on to her as they sat down on the bed._

_She sighed._

_"I'm angry, Nini."_

_The girl looked at her, tears welling up in her eyes again._

_"You're angry at Nini?"_

_Jisoo laughed a little._

_"No silly, I'm angry at me."_

_"Why is Chichu angry at Chichu?"_

_"Because instead of helping, I got scared. I could not do anything to help."_

_Nini thought about it._

_"When you were scared, did you still try to help?"_

_"Yes, but I was useless." she says sadly._

_"I think Chu was very brave."_

_Jisoo looked at her._

_"I'm not."_

_Nini got up and opened something in her drawer. She sat back down on the bed and smiled at her serenely._

_She took her hand and gave her something. Jisoo looked at it._

_It was a yellow and white flower pin. It was a bit heavy too because it seems it was made of iron, or steel, she didn't know._

_"What is this?"_

_"I'm giving it to you. Grandma says it's a lucky charm and helps protect you. She also said that the flower is a daisy and it means bravery!"_

_"But I am not-"_

_"Stubborn Chichu. I said you are brave, alright? My grandma said...what was that? She made me repeat it all over again. Oh yeah! Courage is not when you are faced with something and you don't feel fear. It is when you feel fear but you face it anyway. I think Chu did just that!"_

_Jisoo looked at her, speechless._

_"Also, grandma says that it means true love. And I know I love you so much Chichu! You're the bestest friend in the whole world! Grandma says I have to leave soon, so keep that and wait for me till I get back, okay?"_

_"Okay." Jisoo croaked._

_"The pin will protect you, so don't cry anymore, even when I am not there."_

_Jisoo looked at Nini, and for the first time since she saw what happened that day, she felt everything would be okay in the end._

**************************************************************

Jisoo held on to the pin as the memories came crashing back to her.

The past had become pretty vague, especially with what she had to go through with her family. Nini's face had disappeared as time went by, and all she had left was the feelings she took with her. The pin had helped keep herself together for all these years.

Of course, she and Jennie wasn't able to meet again the year after that because they had to move to another house.

Although it wasn't too far from her original home, Jin and her mom didn't agree to let her go there during the summer. She had arguments with them about it, but they wouldn't budge.

She had Seulgi though and they had become neighbors, but she had missed Jennie as each year passed.

She sighed as she put the pin in her jacket's interior pocket.

What was she going to do now?

She breathed the mountain air deeply. 

She smiled. Funny how she loved looking at the stars, it was still connected to her. 

She furrowed her eyebrows and realized that she didn't really want things to end this way between them.

Yes, Jennie hated her guts right now, but she had to try one last time.

She had to fight, with every ounce of her being. 

Even if it hurt, even if she was scared, she was going to try.

 _Courage huh?_ she chuckles.

She then quickly took her helmet and rode off towards Jennie's house.

It was still 8pm when Jisoo got to her house. For some reason she felt uneasy, like something was terribly wrong, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

She tried to shrug it off, but that feeling didn't leave her.

She just pegged it as anxiety. She was anxious after all, so it was normal to feel some sort of dread. Right?

She rang the doorbell and waited. To her surprise, she saw a woman who ran towards the gate.

When she saw who it was, her face fell.

"Oh, I thought you were...nevermind. Yes, how may I help you?"

"Uhm...hi. I was wondering if Jennie was available?"

"Oh, you're friends with Jennie?"

She wondered if that still was the case.

"Yes."

She was taken aback when the woman started crying.

"I-I am sorry. It's just that Jennie heard an argument with me and her father and...and...she heard something she shouldn't have. She has been gone since this afternoon and I couldn't reach her! Her father has been trying to find her and I asked some of the househelp too and I had to stay behind in case she returned, but she hasn't! She is not taking any of our calls and I am worried sick! Her other friends, Irene and Chaeyoung, swears that they don't know where she is. And I don't know what to do."

Jennie was missing?

"Mrs. Kim. I understand that this is a delicate situation for you, but in order to understand how bad this is. Can you at least tell me what she had heard?"

Mrs. Kim hesitated, but then drooped her head low.

"She heard her father say that I wanted her aborted when she was still in the womb with me."

Jisoo's heart dropped. 

Her anger started simmering.

"Why? Why did you think that?"

"It's true that I did think about it. When I was still pregnant with her, I was still in school at that time. My family wasn't rich, and I had to make sure to finish my course so I could at least give them a better life. Becoming pregnant made that dream much harder to reach, so me and her dad often fought about it. In the end, I decided to keep her after much consideration. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I regret every day thinking about aborting her. I was young and I was lost, and I want her to know that I have always loved her to the best of my ability." she explains, crying.

Jisoo could see how utterly devastated Jennie's mom was. She understood her situation, it wasn't always ideal to become pregnant at a time where you are at your wit's end over a problem. 

But she was really worried about Jennie. Where was she? She clenched her fists.

"It's fine Mrs. Kim. Thank you for being honest with me. I'll go ahead and try and help to find her."

"Oh my God, thank you! Thank you very much!" she cried.

"I'll come back later, hopefully, with Jennie."

She revved up her motorcycle and drove away. 

She scoured the streets for her.

She looked at every convenience store, restaurant, gas station, alley, you name it, Jisoo was there.

She also tried calling her but the girl wasn't picking up.

She was getting really ansty and that feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach got even worse.

_Where are you Jendeukie?_

She heard her phone ring and she answered it.

"Seul, what's up? I'm kinda in the middle of something important."

"Jisoo, I need you to come over here at Sooyoung's. It's an emergency."

She cursed.

"You guys can handle it. I'm also dealing with my own emergency right here."

"Jisoo, they have her."

"What do you mean they have her?"

Jisoo could feel Seulgi hesitating on the other line.

"They have Jennie."

**

Jisoo never drove so fast in her life.

She reached Sooyoung's place and knocked rapidly on the door.

It was immediately opened by Solar.

"Why is she here?" Jisoo asked as she entered the house.

"She knows what we are doing." Moonbyul told her.

"What? Why? You want her in danger too?" 

Moonbyul sighed.

"She was there when some people were after Sooyoung. She was beaten up pretty bad and she helped us out. They recently sent Soo a message with a picture telling and proving to us that Jennie is with them."

She stared at her friends, who looked down guiltily. 

"Why didn't anyone tell me this?!"

Seulgi stood up and faced her.

"I was going to, honestly, but some things just came up. I'm sorry."

Jisoo fixed her hair in frustration.

"So now because you dumbasses decided to leave me out of this, Jennie is now in danger?"

"We had no choice Jis, because I know you wouldn't readily agree to what we have planned so we can all get out of this alive."

Jisoo glared at her best friend.

"And what Seul is this super awesome idea that I might have trouble agreeing to?"

Seulgi inhaled.

"Solar's dad is a cop, and a good one. They will be helping us investigate the syndicate in this town and at the same time help keep us safe."

Jisoo shook her head incredulously. Then she laughed.

"Seriously? The cops? What have they done for us in all these years? Why do you THINK we took matters into our own hands? BECAUSE THEY ARE USELESS!" 

"Jis, please. This is the only way we can move forward. Plus they are already doing what they can to get Jennie back."

Jisoo felt like hyperventilating. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"By the time they get to her, she might be DEAD!" she says as she pushed Seulgi away angrily.

All of her friends held her down.

"Jisoo, please don't make this harder for us." Momo pleaded.

"THEY HAVE JENNIE! YOU EXPECT ME TO STAND HERE AND DO NOTHING?!"

"Jisoo, they are really doing what they can to get her. My dad, he knows what he is doing." Solar says, trying to convince her.

"You are not a part of us so keep out!" she snapped at her. She was trying to break free from their grasps.

"Jisoo, listen, please. This is for us." Sooyoung added.

"Let me go! Those cops won't do anything! I have to get to her!"

Seulgi sighed. 

"Let's take her to your room so she can cool down."

"She would still be able to get out. The basement would be better." Sooyoung told them.

"You bastards! Let me go! LET ME GO!" she bellowed, but her friends still held her down and took her to the basement door. 

"I'm sorry Jis, but this is for your own good." Seulgi told her.

They pushed her inside and locked it.

"Let me out! Let me out! You morons! If something happens to her THIS WILL BE ALL ON YOUR HEADS!" she shouted as she pounded on the door.

She felt so frustrated and helpless. How could her friends turn around and betray her like this?

She slumped down on the floor.

What was she going to do?

Minutes passed and thoughts raced across her head. Time was of the essence, and Jennie needed to be saved as soon as possible. But how can she get out of here? 

Then an idea hit her.

She dialed the only number she felt she could count on at this time.

"Hey, I need your help. It's an emergency. I'll just explain later, time is running out. Yes...do you know where Sooyoung's house is? Alright...so this is what you're going to do."

**

Seulgi felt so guilty and frustrated. On one hand she understood Jisoo's frustration and anger. On the other, she didn't want Jisoo to go over there and risk her life. 

She knew how utterly stubborn her best friend was. It would only end up badly for both her and Jennie.

She sighed and was about to get up and go drink some water when she heard a motorcylce rev up outside. 

They all looked at each other and immediately ran out.

Seulgi saw Jisoo drive away into the night, with Lisa riding along with her.

"Shit, that fucking moron! She's going get themselves killed!" Seulgi says, punching the door in anger.

"What now Seul?" Moonbyul asked worridly.

"What else? We have go and save those idiots!"


	47. Crazy/Beautiful

Seulgi got her stuff ready, and her other friends did the same. Solar was trying to discourage them from leaving, but nothing was going to change their minds.

They knew how impulsive Jisoo could get when she was letting her emotions fuel her thoughts.

"Seul, please, just wait for my dad at least. He'll be able to sort this out." she pleaded.

Seulgi sighed, she felt tired, and she knew that Solar meant well, but they had to do this quick in order avoid any further trouble for Jisoo.

"I understand Solar, but time is running out. I know Jisoo enough to get what she is thinking. I am her best friend, and she is basically family. We don't leave family alone when they need us."

"But you're going to get into even more trouble if you go after her." Solar reasoned.

"That is probable, but we really need to stop Jisoo before she does something she might regret. Besides, this is also my fault for not telling her." she replied.

"How could it be your fault?"

Seulgi looked at Solar.

"Jisoo doesn't trust cops for a reason. Since she was little, they have only disappointed her up until she grew up. Do you think we didn't try several times for them to do something about the drugs here? Now that Jennie is in danger, all she can think of is trying to save her, and she doesn't want to place her trust in people who hasn't done a thing for her when she needed them. Me telling her what we talked about would have avoided this from happening at least. That's why we need to go after her. Please tell your dad what we're about to do. If he can send backup soon, then at least, our safety can be guaranteed." Seulgi explained to her.

Solar looked at Moonbyul for help, who then avoided her eye contact.

"Just think about it, please."

"My mind is made up." she says, then she looks at her friends.

"You guys don't have to go. You can stay here, especially you Soo, since you're still recovering. I don't want to place you guys in any unnecessary danger." she tells them.

"Are you kidding? No way in hell am I staying put for this. We've always done things together. It's all for one, or none at all, right?" Sooyoung says.

"Right. When it comes to family, no one gets left behind." Momo added.

Moonbyul crossed her arms.

"Solar might kill me when I get back, but yes, family is more important. Let's drag Kim's stubborn ass back home."

Seulgi grinned at them.

"Well then, let's go."

They were about to head out when they heard a knock on the door. Could it be Jisoo? 

Seulgi ran towards the door and opened it excitedly but suddenly froze when she saw a very angry looking Irene staring at her and an impatient looking Chaeyoung at her side.

"Uh...babe? What are you doing here?" she asks uncertainly. She had a feeling Solar had something to do with this.

Irene pushed the door open and glared at her.

"You tell me babe. What is everyone doing here?" she countered.

Seulgi took a deep breath, she really didn't have time to argue with her girlfriend at this moment.

"Babe, I know this looks bad, and I guess it is, but I promise to explain everything to you when we get back."

Irene looked at her, her lips pressed together in anger.

"And who told you it was okay with me to put yourself in danger Kang Seulgi?"

_Oh no._

"Baby please, not now. I promise, I'll make it clear to you once this is over."

"So you wait until then? When I don't know what will happen to you?"

"We are just going to get Jisoo back, I swear that's it. Please trust me on this."

"But did she have to bring Lisa?"

Both Irene and Seulgi looked at Chaeng, who looked honestly spooked by the whole thing.

"Chaeyoung, I'm sorry, we did not expect Lisa to help Jisoo. That is why it is important that we leave right now so we can get them back safely." Seulgi explained to her.

"Seul,we really need to leave soon." Moonbyul told her. Irene just glared at her.

Seulgi looked at her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry babe, I need to leave. I love you, okay?"

"Seul, if you leave, I swear I am breaking up with you."

Seulgi froze.

"Baby, please."

"I'm serious."

"What for?"

"For your safety!" Irene shouted. She was breathing heavily and looked quite frustrated. Seulgi's heart went out to her, she knew she was very worried, and as much as she wanted to ease her pain, she couldn't. She had to do this.

She clenched her fists, then she hugged Irene tightly.

"I love you babe, but my best friend needs me. I'm sorry." she says as she kissed her on the forehead.

She nods at her three other friends and they headed out.

She didn't look back.

She couldn't, or else she might not be able to have the strength to fight what was she was feeling.

**************************************

Jisoo drive quickly towards the docks. It was an open secret that the headquarters of the drug gang assigned to their area was located there.

She was certain they had Jennie hidden in there somewhere.

She killed her engine and got off, Lisa following behind as they arrived at an area nearby.

She took off her helmet and looked at Lisa, who seemed quite determined to help at any cost.

She was grateful for her, sure, but she was not about to let the girl get into any danger just for her sake.

"Lisa, thank you so much for everything, but right now, I need you to go home. This is for your own safety." she informed her.

Lisa scrunched up her nose.

"But Jisoo, I can be quite useful. I don't want you to head in there without any back-up, that's suicidal. Plus, you mentioned they got Jennie, right?" Lisa replied.

Chaeyoung and Jennie would kill her at the same time if something happened to this kid.

She supposed she could be useful for one more thing that wasn't dangerous.

She shrugged and opened her backpack. She went through her stuff and finally found what she was looking for. She extracted a pair of binoculars and handed it to Lisa, who was a bit surprised.

She then pointed to a water tower nearby.

"Since you're so determined, you can help me out with this instead. I need you to climb up that water tower and check out how tight their security is. Since you're tall, you should be able to see more than me at a vantage point. Report to me the number of patrols, what direction they are at, do they talk on their radios every few minutes and stuff. This will be useful later."

Lisa took the binoculars and nodded.

"I need you to stay there for about 15 minutes so you can observe their movements, then report back to me afterwards."

"Aye aye, captain!" Lisa said and gave her a mock salute. She then hurried over to her designated location.

She leaned on her bike as she watched the girl climb up the water tower. She wondered if this girl was fully aware of the danger they were facing. 

A lot of thoughts came running through her head. Knowing how many people outside was just the first step. The next part was the more crucial one, and that was knowing how everything worked inside.

She was confident her plan would work, she just needed to make sure she played her cards right. 

Yes, they were a gang, but they were not exactly the most professional ones around. 

She waited until Lisa's fifteen minutes were up. Finally, she saw the girl climb back down and head on over towards her.

Once she was near her, the younger girl grinned at her.

"Looks like they don't have that many people around." she noted.

"That's what happens when you have the police on your payroll. It means they aren't too worried about anything happening." Jisoo says.

"Looks like it."

"So, tell me what you have observed so far?"

Lisa then handed the binoculars back to Jisoo, which she took and put back inside her backpack. She then listened to Lisa.

"Well, from what I could gather, I have spotted five people around the area. Two of them were guarding the entrance of the gate. One was patrolling around a huge warehouse. The fourth, walking around somewhere near the marina and the fifth was guarding the entrance of a small office. They don't seem to be communicating a lot." Lisa tells her.

She took note of everything the girl had said. She felt satisfied with the information she got from her.

"Good job, this will definitely be useful. Now, since you've helped me out with everything I need, it's best that you go on home and keep yourself safe."

Lisa put her hands up, exasparated.

"I'm perfectly capable of backing you up, believe me."

She was sure it would be even more dangerous to tag her along.

"Oh, I'm sure you can. The thing is, with what I am about to do, I do not require back up."

Lisa looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"I don't understand. What are you planning?"

Jisoo looked at her, amused.

"I'm going to walk over there and have them take me in as a prisoner."

Lisa looked even more confused than before.

"What? WHY? What purpose does that serve?"

"Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Lisa looked at her angrily.

"No Jisoo, that's too dangerous! I won't let you do that! What if they kill you? What if something happens to Jennie? I can't allow it!"

Jisoo sighed, she had no choice. She put her hand on Lisa's shoulder and looked at her.

"Thank you, Lisa. I really owe you one. But I'm sorry, I need to do this." she tells her.

"I'm not going to sit around and wat-" Lisa stopped at mid-sentence as Jisoo hit her with a precise chop to her neck. She caught the younger girl as she fell from the knockout.

"I'm sorry again, kiddo, but you'll be fine." she says as she gently placed Lisa near one of the walls. She was going to feel a bit disoriented once she wakes up, but it was better than the other option.

She then opened her backpack and rummaged it's contents, only getting some items she knew she would need later.

Afterwards, she took a deep breath and headed towards her destination.

**

Jisoo walked confidently towards the entrance, the two guards spotting her immediately. They seemed to be arguing about something, but then stopped when she came closer towards them.

They looked at her with confused expressions on their faces. She smiled at them.

"Hey there." she greeted.

They eyed her suspiciously.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" one of them, the one with the full beard and stocky build, asked her.

"Oh nothing, I just need you guys to take me to your boss." she says nonchalantly.

The two guards became more alert, and the lankier guy looked at her curiously.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Jisoo laughed.

"I guess you can say that? Just tell him that Kim Jisoo is here to see him. He'll know what to do." she replied.

The two looked at each other, they seemed to be confused about what to do with this.

"What do you think, dude?" the lanky guy asked his partner.

"I dunno, let's just bring her to the boss as she said." he responded.

"Okay."

They both then grabbed her by the collar and pushed her forward.

"Any funny business and you're dead." the bearded guy warned her. Jisoo just shrugged and let them guide her inside.

The guy on patrol stopped as he saw them them approach the warehouse. He was taller and had a heavier build. He was probably trained from the way he carried himself.

"What is this?" he asked the the two men gruffly.

"She says she wants to see the boss and that her name was Kim...Ji..Ji..." the lanky guy tried to remember.

"Jisoo. It's Kim Jisoo." she tells him. The guard then gave her a steely glare. It looked like he definitely knew who she was. 

"I see. I'll be right back." he says as he goes inside.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the warehouse.

"The boss wants to see you. I'll take it from here. You two, get back to your posts. Next time, don't leave the entrance unguarded. I'll let it slide. For now."

Both men gulped.

"Yes sir." they both mumbled, and hurried back towards the gate.

The big guard then motioned for her to follow him.

Once inside, she saw hundreds of shelves with boxes inside being piled up by different people. She wondered if these had any of the drugs inside. It was possible.

She observed her surroundings and noted the entrance and exists of the place. 

As they moved forward, they finally stopped in front of a gray door. The guard opened it for her.

"Please go inside. The boss is waiting for you." he told her, she nodded.

As she stepped in, she realized that the room was a big office. In the center was a huge desk, and a man was busy tinkering with his laptop and counting some money from a suitcase in front of him.

He looked up and gave her a greasy smile, the fact that he looked like a rat made her mistrust him even more. But something about him also felt off, Jisoo supposed that wasn't surprising, considering what he did as a living.

"Aaaah! The lady of the hour! Please, sit down!" he says as he shows to her the two seats in front of his desk.

Jisoo decided to follow his lead and sat down.

He leaned back against his chair and looked at her quizically, clasping his hands and putting it on his stomach as he did.

"My, my, how you have given us some trouble for the past couple of years. Imagine, all the times my head exploded in anger when I found out, and the many other heads that got exploded along the way. It was so cute to learn that a couple of highschool kids were on to us! It's so cute, I kind of want to strangle you from where I am sitting right now." he said, seething. Then, he leaned forward and his mood immediately changed to that of a happy, welcoming person. It kinda creeped her out.

"But, but! I...am a generous God. I do try to provide my fair share of kindness every now and then, good for the heart you see! Also, I have seen your group's potential and I think that this will be more than enough for me to offer my forgiveness to you for all the times you have meddled in my affairs." he says.

"Sorry, but I am not interested in whatever you are offering." Jisoo replied bluntly.

The guy laughed hysterically. He was pounding his hands on the table as if he had heard the funniest thing ever.

"Oh my, oh my, Miss Kim! I think you have misunderstood me. I am not providing this chance to you as a choice. No, no, no. It is a MUST. Besides, you must be crazy to refuse. See this?" he showed to her the briefcase full of money. "You get to earn this much, or even more, and you will be set for life! It's a win-win, for me and for you. Just so you know, I rarely offer this chance to anyone, so count yourself LUCKY." he tells her, giving her another smile that never reached his eyes.

"I don't need your dirty money." she tells him pointedly, gazing directly into his eyes. She saw something dangerous glint behind them. He shook his finger in front of her.

"Of course, I understand completely. The high moral ground! Booooring!" he snorted. "Do you think successful people didn't stomp down on anyone to get where they are? Let's not be idealistic shall we? This is the shortcut to the high life, literally and figuratively. I think your group has the potential to make my business boom. This is a chance Kim, the chance for me to not kill you and your lovely friends." 

Jisoo leaned back and smirked at him.

"It's funny that a couple of highschool kids got you in a tight spot yeah? Well, these highschool kids can just keep on doing what they are doing. I rather die than be a part of your fucking business." she says, as if summoning him a challenge.

His fake smile disappeared. Instead, it was replaced with a darker, more sinister glare that made Jisoo's skin crawl. He pursed his lips, and shrugged.

"Well then, I can be very, very persuasive. Let me just give you a taste of how CONVINCING I can be. BOYS!" he called and snapped his fingers.

Two people came out of the shadows and Jisoo's eyes grew wide. She now understood why this gang knew who they were. Bastards.

"Baekhyun, Chanyeol. Show Miss Kim how persuasive I can be."

"Yes, Mr. Yang." they said in unison.

**

Jennie was gazing forlornly outside of the window above. She didn't know what time it was, but she didn't care anymore.

She felt was best that she stayed here and let them do what they wanted with her. She didn't feel like her life had any meaning anymore.

The people here kept pestering her with questions about Jisoo and her friends. She wondered what Jisoo had done to have such vile individuals get mad at her. They didn't hurt her though. Instead, they kept her inside this room.

She supposed her and her gang were doing something illegal, but for some reason, she felt that was not possible.

She laughed at herself. How pathetic, even in her darkest hour she still had some faith in that person. 

She wondered what the people in her life would do if they found out something bad happened to her. Her friends, she was sure would be sad. Her parents, she hoped they would feel guilty. She also thought about Kuma. Just when he got attached to her, this happens. Maybe living for Kuma and her friends was enough?

Then, she recalled where she had gotten Kuma, and that heart-shaped lip smile came into view.

_Stupid. Stop thinking about her._

Whatever this was, Jisoo was the center of it. How would she feel that her activities, whatever it was, had gotten her in danger?

Would it matter to her? 

As if.

Suddenly, she heard the door open and someone was violently shoved inside. Then, she heard the lock click and everything was quiet again.

The person, whoever they were, was sprawled out on the floor, unmoving.

It was a bit dark, but she could make out their sillouhette. She hoped that this person wasn't dead, or dying. That would be scary.

She was staring at the body, something was so familiar about them.

She got up, her curiosity getting the best of her. She needed to make sure, who knows they might need her help.

As she got closer, her heart began beating wildly, she just felt she knew who it was, but that was impossible.

When she was finally at an arm's length, she gasped. She would know that leather jacket from anywhere.

She immediately dropped down and held her up, turning her body around so that her face would come into view.

What she saw hurt her more than she could ever imagine.

Jisoo's face was full of bruises and welts. Her lips were bleeding, and one of her eyes was almost swollen shut.

She held her face and tears were welling from her eyes. She hoped to God she was alive.

"Jisoo? Chu, please wake up. Please. Please, don't worry me like this." she says, trying to hold in her sobs.

As she watched her, she could see her chest moving up and down. She felt a great sense of relief wash over her.

She was alive!

She caressed her face gently.

"Chu, why is this happening to you? What stupid thing did you do this time?"

She heard a small groan from her and suddenly, Jisoo's eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked disoriented at first, but then smiled happily as she saw who she was looking at.

"Jen?"

"Hey." she says, smiling back. All of her worries seemed to melt away when she saw that she was going to be okay.

Jisoo groaned once more as she tried to get up.

"No, stay down. You look really hurt. Rest up for a bit." Jennie told her. Jisoo looked at her and just obeyed.

"Jendeukie...I'm sorry." she says softly.

"Shh...rest up first. Whatever this is, you can explain it to me when you feel better."

Jisoo shook her head and held her hand .

"No...I mean, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I did. For the decisions I made to make you feel the way you did, for not coming out clean when I could because I was too much of a coward to take the first step. I want you to know that you were never less of a person to me. I was just scared of what I felt, but this time, I am sure. I am sure I feel the same way you do Jendeukie, and I will do everything in my power to prove it to you everyday if I must. If my words are not enough, then, I will let my actions speak for itself." she told her.

Jisoo was looking into her eyes as she was telling her this and Jennie could feel the sincerity in them. She was at a loss for words. 

She smiled at her.

"Well..."

Jisoo looked hopefully at her.

"I must say, this confession was much better than the first one." she says and grinned at her.

Jisoo laughed, but then coughed as she held her ribs.

"God damn, they did a number on me." she says weakly.

Jennie, looked at her concerned.

"Don't move too much."

"Yes boss." 

Jennie just rolled her eyes at her, but then grinned afterwards.

"I should give you a hard time after everything you did. But, I guess I can give you a chance."

"You're just whipped for me and my good looks."

"Don't push it, Chu."

Jisoo smiled widely at her.

"I'll try not to disappoint you Princess."

Jennie smiled playfully at her.

"Oh, and Jendeukie?"

"Hmmm?"

"I talked to your mom."

Her faced darkened.

"I don't want to speak about her, Chu."

Jisoo held her face gently.

"Please, listen. I know what she said was hurtful, and no kid should hear that out loud. But I hope you know that whatever may have happened in the past isn't the case now. People make mistakes. It's how they get up and learn from it that's important. I can see your mom loves you dearly, and I'm not here to tell you what to do, but I hope you think about it. About giving her a chance too." she tells Jennie gently.

Jennie sighed, the memory still hurt her. But Jisoo did have a point. She supposed she could look into it, once she felt better.

"Alright, but first, we need to get out of here alive. I don't even know what they are planning to do to us."

Jisoo smiled slyly.

"That's why I came here to get you."

Jennie furrowed her eyebrows.

"Wait, you mean you came here out of your own volition...to save me?"

"Yup."

"Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish or something???" she says, slapping her involuntarily in the face.

"Aw! Jesus!"

Jennie gasped.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" she says as she rubbed the part of where she had slapped her by accident.

"I guess I deserve that." Jisoo says.

"I guess you did. Jisoo, are you out of your mind?"

"Yes, I am out of my mind head over heels for you." she says, attempting to wink.

"Stop flirting, and no, your wink is not even a wink."

"Don't worry Jendeukie, I came prepared. I knew they wouldn't kill me yet. I expected them to grill me about thr location of my friends, but instead that Yang guy wanted to strike a deal and I basically told him to go fuck himself. So, here I am."

Jennie looked at her, puzzled.

"Prepared? How can you even get us out of here?"

"Trust me. Just give me 20 minutes, and we're golden."

Jennie realized that she was in love with a crazy person.


	48. Sugar, We're Going Down

**A/N: Are you guys ready? 😄**

Jisoo's entire body felt sore. Every part of her was screaming in pain, but she had to bite down her tongue and live with it, Jennie's safety was her utmost priority right now, she couldn't afford to be weak.

She was relieved to find that they didn't hurt her. They were probably keeping her as an insurance for later. It was likely that if she had continued to disagree with that rat, he'd use Jennie as a means to get what he wanted. 

The guy was dangerous. She couldn't risk dilly dallying or else their safety might be compromised.

She already had a plan mapped out in her head. She was well aware that there were going to be unknown factors in this equation, but the chances of success were higher in her calculation. 

She closed her eyes as she mentally prepared herself for what they were about to do. She was aware that this was only just the beginning. Once she and Jennie got out of there, those people would be out for blood, searching for them everywhere. Although she hated cops, maybe she could work together with Seulgi on this. 

Jennie's safety was her priority and even if she was still miffed at them, they were still her friends after all. Her pride mattered less.

She opened her eyes and looked at Jennie softly.

"Jen?"

"Yes Chu?"

"Are you ready to get out of here?"

Jennie furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes, I am. But how?"

Jisoo smirked.

"Listen up Princess, this is what we are going to do..."

**

A sharp cry could be heard from inside one of the rooms.

The guard assigned to watch that specific door was completely startled. He then heard someone shouting for help from inside, so he opened the door immediately to see what was happening.

As his vision slowly adjusted from inside the poorly lit room, he could see the cat-eyed girl sobbing over the body of the person they just recently threw in there.

He saw her look at him, distraught and helpless.

"Please! Please help! She's not breathing! I think...I think she might be dead! Please help her! I...I don't wanna lose her!" she told him.

That was bad. He quickly went towards the body of the other girl. She was motionless.

He needed to ask for help.

As the guard was about to get up to radio in some assistance, the girl suddenly sat up and quickly hit him on a vital spot near his neck. The guard immediately went limp.

Jisoo stood up and looked at the motionless body of the guy she knocked out.

"Wow, great job Jendeuk! Your acting was so convincing that he easily fell for it! He'll be out for awhile." she says, impressed.

She then looked at Jennie who bit her lip.

"What?" Jisoo asked.

"Nothing."

Jisoo smiled slyly.

"You found me pretty hot didn't you?" she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Kim." she mutters, then grabs Jisoo's shirt as she pulls her towards her body, giving her a deep kiss.

She then lets go and smirks as she saw Jisoo blink a few times.

"Come on, Chu, let's go."

Jisoo scrunched up her nose and held Jennie's hand.

"I'm going to return the favor once we get out of here." Jisoo replied.

"You can try."

Jisoo gave her a sexy grin, which made Jennie's knees go weak.

"Oh, you can count on it, Princess." she says, as she leads them out.

Jennie smiled to herself as she held on to Jisoo's hand. She was definitely looking forward to that.

As they got out into the hallway, Jisoo closed the door behind them and looked around.

"The coast is clear. For a gang, they're a bit disorganized and their security is pretty lax. But still, we should be careful. Just follow my lead alright?" Jisoo whispered to her.

"Alright." Jennie responded.

"Maybe when we get out of here, you'll be lucky enough to have me as your girlfriend." Jisoo smirked.

Jennie pushed her a bit.

"How about we focus?"

Jisoo chuckled at the way Jennie playfully glared at her.

"Yes, ma'am."

Jisoo tugged Jennie along the hallway. There was no point in trying to exit their way via the entrance, that would be suicide.

They were both being kept in a different building. She scanned her surroundings and finally found what she was looking for.

"In here." she says as she opens the door and pulls Jennie inside with her. She closes the door immediately behind them, locking it. Jennie found that they were in a small restroom.

Jennie looked at her, confused.

"What? You need to go now?"

Jisoo pursed her lips. 

"No, Princess. This is where we exit." she says as she looks around and finds a pail. She then puts it upside down in front of the window and steps on it to open their doorway to freedom.

"Are you crazy? What if they find us while we're getting out?"

"Don't worry, we're fine. They barely have any security outside and, there is only one guard assigned here and he's sitting around at the entrance." Jisoo informed her as she stepped down and put her hands on her hips.

Jennie looked a little doubtful.

"Uhm...I am a little scared. What if they catch us?" she asks nervously.

Jisoo picked up on her anxiety immediately, so she held her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Jendeukie, I completely understand how you feel. I would never do this without making sure, you are too important to me. I know you're scared, and so am I, but I am willing to do everything to get you out of here as safe and sound as possible." Jisoo tells her seriously.

Jennie licked her lips and nodded.

"I trust you, Chu." she tells her sincerely.

Jisoo smiled and kissed her softly on the forehead, Jennie closing her eyes as she did.

"Let's go home, Jendeuk." she says. Jennie opened her eyes and smiled back, letting herself be led by Jisoo towards the window.

"I'll help you so you can climb up the there without any trouble." Jisoo tells her.

"Okay."

Jennie slowly put her left foot on top of the pail while holding on to the older girl. She then let go and used both her hands to grab on to the window's ledge, while Jisoo held on to her waist and boosted her up so she could easily pull herself up. Once she was on top, she looked outside to make sure the coast was clear. It was pretty quiet, which made Jennie feel a little more at ease.

"Everything looks peaceful outside." she commented.

"Yep, told ya." 

Jennie calculated the distance of her position to the floor outside, and was relieved to find that it wasn't too high. She turned her head back to Jisoo.

"Okay, I'm going to jump down now."

"Alright, be careful!"

"I will." assured Jennie as she leapt outside the window.

Jisoo heard a soft thump, indicating that Jennie had landed safely.

"You okay mandu?"

"Yes I am!" came a muffled sound from the outside.

"Okay, I'm on my way to you." Jisoo says as she quickly climbs the pail and deftly pulls herself up to the window ledge. She sees Jennie outside giving her that big gummy smile which always makes the butterflies in her stomach go crazy.

"Come on, don't make me wait." teased Jennie.

"Impatient as always." Jisoo snorted playfully, then jumped down below.

Once she landed, she took Jennie's hand so they could start getting out of there.

"Why do you need to keep holding my hand? I'm not a baby you know." she complained.

"Shush manduekie. You are a baby. My baby. Now let's go!" Jisoo says as she pulls her along, Jennie blushing furiously behind her. 

Jisoo carefully watched her surroundings, so far, there was nothing to be wary of.

These guys were too lax, she wondered what was wrong with them. A bunch of kids were able to make a mess of their operations and now, they wanted to recruit them.

Even a fictional show like Breaking Bad did a better job. 

Well, who was she to complain? As long as they were able get out safely, then there was nothing else to worry about.

As they rounded the next corner, Jisoo saw the line of fence that she had noticed earlier when she was being escorted towards the warehouse. It looked easy to scale and they should be out of here in no time.

She smiled at Jennie.

"We're almost home free! See that fence?" she says, pointing towards it's direction.

Jennie nodded.

"That's where we are going to get out." she tells her. She then double checks their surroundings. It looked like the coast was clear.

She then pulled Jennie with her as they ran towards the fence. As they got closer, she could feel the excitement bubble up within her. This was it, they were going to make it!

"Stop right there or I will shoot!"

Jisoo's blood ran cold as she heard a man's voice. She immediately stopped and gave a sideways glance towards Jennie, who's eyes became as wide as saucers and her lips were getting paler by the second.

She gave her hand a gentle squeeze, reminding her that she will never let anything bad happen to her.

She looked at Jisoo, who tried to wink at her. Jennie looked much calmer after that.

Jisoo could hear footsteps approach them. She began to prepare herself for anything that was about to happen.

"Turn around." the man ordered. They obeyed immediately and found themselves face to face with a short, thin man.

He smirked at them. He was holding a handgun and pointing it towards them.

"You thought you could get away that easily? I'm glad I changed my route or else you might have been able to get out." he says, moving even closer. Jisoo watched his movements as he stepped in front of Jennie. He then held her face.

"Perhaps maybe, before I both turn you back in, I guess I could have a little bit of fun. Pretty things like you can't just be left alone." he says, giving them a creepy smile.

Jisoo's blood boiled. He should take his dirty hands off of her face or else she was going to make him pay dearly.

His mistake was turning his back towards Jisoo as he inspected Jennie.

She moved swiftly as she gave him a well-placed, roundhouse kick towards his face.

The guy fell back but Jisoo didn't just stop there. She moved forward and peppered him with punches to vital parts of his body to maximize the pain. 

She was attacking him non-stop when suddenly, she felt a sharp pain near her ribs which caused her to stop momentarily, allowing the gunman to pick up his weapon and point it towards her.

He was about to shoot when Jisoo recovered and kicked the gun away just in time as he pulled the trigger. Nobody was hit, but the shot rang out like a canon, announcing to the people in the area that something was definitely wrong.

Jisoo quickly aimed at a vital part near his head and gave him an outside axe kick, causing an immediate knockout. 

She then looked at a very pale Jennie.

"You almost got shot." she whispered.

She immediately pulled Jennie along with her, trying to find a hiding spot.

"I'm sorry, I let my anger get the best of me." she apologized to her. 

That's right, she should have just knocked him out immediately. Her mistake made their escape all the more complicated.

"Halt! I said halt!" she heard someone shout.

 _Fuck_. She silently cursed.

They ran towards the area where the huge crates were found. She heard shots ring out after them. Shouts and orders were being barked out in the distance.

Jisoo took Jennie behind a crate and let themselves breathe. She was so stupid.

"Jendeuk, I'm really sorry." she says sincerely. Because of her they were in grave danger.

"Jisoo, stop apologizing. I am just glad you're alive, okay?" she tells her.

They gazed at each other, their eyes speaking things which words could not. It made Jisoo feel reassured that everything will turn out alright.

"We are going to get out of here, I'll make sure of that." Jisoo promised her.

"I'll hold you onto that." Jennie replied. They grinned at each other.

Suddenly, they heard a very loud explosion nearby.

Shouts of panic and screaming rang out, and as Jisoo peeked to see what was happening, she heard the sound of a motorcycle being gunned. 

She followed the source, and saw the rider light up a molotov cocktail and throw it out into the distance.

She smirked. She'd know that person from anywhere.

 _Seulgi_!

**

Jennie was feeling a bit apprehensive.

At first, she thought that these guys had caused that explosion, but when she and Jisoo peeked out to see what was happening, she saw that wasn't the case.

Other people were attacking the gang. 

She then noticed that Jisoo was starting to get giddy with excitement. She held on to Jennie's arm, grinning widely.

"It's them!" she exclaimed happily.

"What?" Jennie asked, puzzled.

"That's Seulgi, and I bet my other friends are here as well! Fucking idiots!" she says. 

Jennie once again looked at the rider, who drove off somewhere else.

"How'd they know where to find you? In fact, how'd you know where to find me?" she asked her.

Jisoo smiled at her sheepishly.

"Jendeuk, when we get out of here, I promise to tell you what has been happening. For now, let's try find them so we can all escape." Jisoo replied, while checking the area.

She supposed she really didn't have any choice.

But she trusted Jisoo, she felt that they will be fine.

"Alright, Chu. I'll follow your lead."

They stealthily tried to navigate the area. A lot of people were running around, trying to get some semblance order back.

Every now and then, shots rang out, and some more explosions went off as well.

Jennie hoped Jisoo's friends were safe.

As they got near the warehouse, they both ran into Sooyoung, who's eyes opened widely in surprise when she saw them.

"Holy fucking Christ, Jisoo! Jennie! You're alive!" she shouted as she ran towards Jisoo and hugged her. Then she proceeded to hit her all over.

"Aw! Ouch! Soo!" Jisoo complained, as she tried to guard herself from Sooyoung's attacks.

"You idiot! We were so worried about you! We found Lisa unconcious near your bike, and when she came to, she told us you let yourself be taken in! We had to devise a plan, and when we heard shots, we thought something bad happened to you guys! You are so stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Sooyoung shouted at Jisoo.

Wait...Lisa?

"Ouch! Alright, I'm sorry, okay! I was just so worried about Jennie!" she says.

"Next time listen to us you dumbass!" Sooyoung scolded, pushing her one last time. Jisoo scowled at her. Sooyoung rolled her eyes, then looked at Jennie.

"Hey Jen, are you alright? Did this dumbo make sure you're safe?" she asked.

Jennie nodded.

"Yes she did, thankfully." 

"You're lucky. Next time, if you pull something like this again Jis, I swear I am going to kill you myself." she says, glowering at her.

Jennie found it cute that Jisoo's friends were so overprotective about her. 

Sooyoung then gave Jisoo something.

"Here's your phone, I know you left it on purpose. Call Seulgi so she'll know you're safe." she ordered.

Jisoo sighed and took her phone back and dialed Seulgi's number. Not long after that, Jennie noticed that Jisoo's ears started to turn red as she spoke with her best friend. Seulgi was most likely giving her the third degree. 

Sooyoung then put her arm around Jennie.

"Jisoo may be an idiot, but she cares a lot about you. Unfortunately, she sometimes makes stupid decisions." Sooyoung told her.

"Yes, she does."

They both chuckled. She then looked at Jennie seriously.

"We will all be graduating soon, so I trust you to keep an eye out for her. We will no longer be there to make sure she's okay. She's a good person, just a little dense and too stubborn for her own good."

Jennie smiled.

"I will do my best, Soo." she promised.

"Good. It'll be easier for you though, since she's too whipped for you." Sooyung teased.

Jennie blushed.

"N-no she's not!" she protested. Sooyoung just laughed at her reaction.

They noticed Jisoo had ended the call. She looked a little winded and sighed as she put her phone inside of her pocket.

"Well, Seulgi said the cops are almost here. We just need to distract them for awhile until they arrive." Jisoo informed them.

"Cool. I'll go ahead and try to cause more chaos around here. How about you guys?" Sooyoung says.

"I'll go somewhere safe with Jennie if you don't mind. I don't want to put her into any more danger." Jisoo said.

Sooyoung just shrugged.

"Alright then, stay safe and hidden! We'll let you know once the cops are here." she says, grasping Jisoo's arm, then winked at her and went towards the other direction.

"Will she be okay?" Jennie asked, worried.

"Don't worry, they are all very resourceful. They should all get out of this unscathed." Jisoo assured her, then intertwined her hand with hers as she led her towards the marina. 

As they carefully tried to find a hiding spot among the boats, Jennie suddenly felt someone grab her and put their hand on her mouth. She felt the cold metal of a gun barrel on her temple, her mind going haywire at the possibility that she might actually end up dead if she was not careful.

"Stop right there or your girlfriend ends up dead." she heard the voice of the person holding her as prisoner say. It sounded familiar. 

It was definitely the boss that they referred to as Mister Yang.

Jisoo turned around and faced them. Her eyes widened at the sight, then her gaze turned deadly when she saw what was happening to her.

"Let her go." Jisoo growled, her fists clenched in anger. 

"Nuh-uh. I have the upperhand here Kim, as you can see, so don't test my patience. You and your friends have meddled in my affairs for far too long. I have built this small business from the ground up, and it has been...difficult. Nobody had faith in what I could do, that's why my resources are limited. I was hoping to convince you so I could show those bastards what I was capable of, but I have realized now how terrible of a mistake that was. So now, let me just take something...or someone who is important to you. Let's just say that's my way of giving back the pain, tenfold. But first, before I blow the brains out of your lovely girlfriend's head, I want to see you suffer. Boys." he says, looking smugly at Jisoo.

Jennie's eyes widened as she saw Chanyeol and Baekhyun come out of the shadows. Why were they here?

"I want you to make her feel as much pain as possible, make sure she can barely crawl out of here." she told the two of them. 

They nodded.

Jisoo then began to put up a fighting stance, looking warily at the both of them.

Jennie's heart pounded heavily. Jisoo hasn't fully recovered yet. Is she capable of taking two of them at once?

"I knew you two were pieces of shit, but I didn't know you would actually go this low." Jisoo told them.

"Unlike you, we have ambitions in life. You and your arrogance needs to be dialed down and taught a lesson." Baekhyun told her.

Jisoo smirked.

"You are welcome to try."

Chanyeol snorted.

"You are still pretty weak from what happened earlier. We'll make short work of you."

Jisoo cocked an eyebrow. She stuck out her tongue from the side and adjusted her stance. She then put her arm forward, and gestured at them to have them come at her, her gaze determined and focused.

"Do your worst."

Jennie watched as both Chanyeol and Baekhyun charged at her simultaneously. 

Her heart leaped as their fists almost touched her, but Jisoo was able to dodge all of them. 

Jennie was constantly on her toes as Jisoo fought the two boys. She could see the discomfort on her face, she was probably still in pain, but she didn't let it distract her. 

Jisoo made sure to fight them one on one as much as possible, pushing the other person away as she faced the next one and doing the same thing again, like clockwork. 

She was way smaller than them, but Jennie could see how fiercely Jisoo fought. She was calm and calculated, and it felt like she was five steps ahead of them.

As she connected a flurry of blows to each of them, she was finally able to knock Chanyeol down, leaving Baekhyun.

Jennie's heart soared, her girl was pretty damn good at what she did.

Baekhyun looked at Jisoo, and swallowed nervously.

Jisoo pursed her lips and stared him down.

"You were saying?" she says, playfully dusting herself off and tilting her head as she put her hands in her pockets. She waited for him to attack. 

"Baekhyun, if you don't finish her off, now, I swear to God I will kill you, you hear me?!" Mister Yang screamed, holding Jennie even more tightly as he did.

Baekhyun looked back and forth between Jisoo and Mister Yang, fear showing in his eyes. Finally, he looked back at him.

"I'm sorry!" he said, then he ran away, leaving the three of them alone.

"COWARD!" Mister Yang screamed at his retreating figure. 

He huffed and pushed the gun even harder on Jennie's temple. She winced in pain as he did that, worry flooding into her once again.

"You bitch. Now watch as I kill your girl!" he told her.

As if in slow motion, she watched as Jisoo desperately ran towards her.

As she looked at her, she suddenly felt a sense of peace wash over her.

If this was the end, then she was lucky to have known and loved someone like her, even if it was just for a short time. 

She made her feel that she mattered, and that was enough.

She was enough.

As she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, she heard a loud thump from behind her and a low grunt.

She felt Mister Yang let go of her, and she saw him fall down on the floor, unconcious.

She froze when she saw the grinning face of Lisa.

"Did I just reach you guys in time?" she asked as she placed a baseball bat on her shoulder.

She then felt Jisoo's arms wrap around her tightly, she could feel her trembling and her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Jendeukie. I almost lost you. I'm sorry." she whispered all over again like a mantra as she held her. Jennie hugged her back. She felt so unnerved about everything, but she was alive, and so was Jisoo, and she knew the older girl must have been scared out of her wits.

"I'm okay Chu, I'm still here. Thank you for doing your best to protect me." she told her, and she meant it.

They held each other for quite sometime, until they heard Lisa clear her throat.

"Uhm, I don't want to interrupt your moment and all, but uh, the cops are here and it would be nice if you could meet up with them." she told them.

They both let go of each other and Jisoo kissed her forehead and smiled at her, then she went towards Lisa, who's eyes grew wide as Jisoo grabbed her and gave her a bear hug.

"Thank you, Lisa." she told her. Jennie looked at them happily, she was glad Jisoo found a friend in her.

Lisa hugged back the shorter girl shyly.

"Yeah, uh, I told you I would back you up right? So here I am." she says. Jisoo let go and grinned at her.

"Yeah, you're right about that."

Jennie also hugged Lisa.

"Thanks for arriving on time." she told her.

"Well, Chaeyoung would kill me if something happened to you guys. She was so mad at me on the phone, but I think I'll survive now." she says proudly.

Jennie felt Chaeng would still kill her, but she didn't say anything.

She held Jisoo's hand.

"Let's go?"

"Yeah."

The three of them were about to walk away when they heard a gun click behind them.

"Don't think you can get away that easily." they heard Mister Yang say.

Time seemed to slow down as he first targetted Jisoo, then he moved his arm and was now aiming his gun at Jennie.

Jennie was frozen in place. She couldn't seem to make her body move.

As Mister Yang pulled the trigger, she felt Jisoo push her away, and jumped in her place.

She saw the bullet hit her somewhere on the chest, and saw her free fall backwards.

She didn't notice as cops had arrived in time and shot Mister Yang before he could do any more damage.

She didn't hear how Seulgi shouted Jisoo's name.

Or how Lisa screamed curses at Mister Yang.

All she saw and heard was how Jisoo fell unconcious on the ground and her own heart loudly beating in her ears.

She felt everything in her body go numb as she ran towards her.

She knelt on the ground as she held on to Jisoo.

She wasn't moving.

She didn't seem to be breathing.

Jennie tried to shake her, but it was of no avail.

All she heard now was a sharp noise, as if something had suddenly flatlined.


	49. Epilouge

Jennie stopped and gazed at her surroundings.

It was a nice day out, and everything felt perfect.

It was her graduation day, and she was very proud of what she had achieved so far.

She wondered if the person she was visiting would feel the same way too.

She had some flowers ready for her, daisies to be exact. She knew she'd be happy to see them. 

She entered the place and tried to find the exact spot of where that person was.

Finally, she was able to locate it. She smiled and knelt down, cleaning the area and seeing the name "Kim" partially peek out from behind some of the wilted flowers.

She removed them, and placed the new ones instead.

She looked at the tombstone, it had been quite sometime since her last visit.

Jennie wished that she had stayed long enough with her. It was a bittersweet feeling, but that's how life was.

She was sure that person was very happy with how things were going in her life right now.

"I'm sorry if I haven't been able to visit. Things have been quite hectic with school, and I had a lot of stuff to finish. But don't worry, despite the added stress, I'm very happy. Nothing may be perfect, but so far, everything has been working out just fine." she tells her.

"Mom and I have been very close lately, dad on the other hand, well, he's still the same old person, not that it matters to me anymore. Mom is enough. Irene and Seulgi have moved in together, I'm glad they are quite happy with how things have been working out between them. Lisa and Chaeyoung are perfect for each other, them ending up with one another is amazing."

She sighs as she looks at the tombstone.

"Also-"

She stops as she feels hands covering her eyes.

"I was just wondering from afar if a pretty girl like you would go out on a date with me?" she heard the culprit whisper into her ear, making her shiver.

She smiled widely, and took her hands off of her face and gazed at the person.

"Normally, I don't do dates. But seeing that it's you, I guess I could make an exception." she says teasingly.

"Just say you're whipped for me."

"No, you're the one who's whipped for me, Chu." she corrects her.

Jisoo cocks an eyebrow then grins sexily at her.

"I guess I could lose to you a few times then." she says, kissing her fully on the lips.

Jennie hummed at the contact. Her heart was full and everything was falling into place, and being with Jisoo was one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

A year ago she thought she had lost her forever.

Jisoo was shot squarely on the chest and was knocked out unconcious from the impact of the bullet and her head hitting the floor.

Everyone had panicked, especially Jennie herself that she ended up sobbing and shaking her body until she woke up.

She remembered how dazed she looked and was puzzled to see why some of the people were crying.

Jennie was so relieved that she had hugged Jisoo tightly.

Jisoo remarked on this, then had held her chest painfully. She then took something out of her breast pocket.

It was the daisy pin, and the bullet was lodged inside of it.

It had saved her life.

If that wasn't lucky, she didn't know what else was. Her grandma was right about it, the proof was right there in front of them. It had protected Jisoo from permanently being gone from this world.

After that incident, the criminals were rounded up and jailed. 

The police were able to find the dirty cops and they vowed to do their best to serve the public better.

Jisoo's friends were able to graduate and had went on to different universities. They were still very much in contact, and sometimes did a group video call from time to time.

Jisoo and Lisa ended up being rather close friends. They loved to make people laugh and create funny jokes about different things. They were known is school as the crackhead duo.

Chaeyoung had been more open about her love for music and they were quite supportive of her. In fact, she was accepted in one of the best universities who had a very good Music program. 

Lisa was also quite invested with her photography and, was very talented at it. She was going to a university that taught that as a major, and was also close to Chaeyoung's school. Both girls had discussed about moving in together.

Thankfully, both their families were quite supportive about their relationship.

Jisoo buckled herself down and focused on finishing her studies. She was still lazy at reviewing her stuff and Jennie had to scold her more than once so shw would finally do it.

Both of them opened up to their respective parents about their relationship.

Her mom loved Jisoo and Jisoo's mom did with her too. The two became fast friends, so it was not surprising that they hung out together or that the four of them had dinner somewhere.

Jin had surprisingly started to recover slowly. He still had a lot to go, but everything was beginning to look positive, much to Jisoo's excitement. She hopes that one day, he will finally be back to normal, and live his life fully.

Jisoo had also chosen to become a cop, despite having a mistrust towards them in the past.

Solar's dad had been quite helpful and Jisoo wanted to make a difference on her own so she could help those who didn't have anywhere to go to.

Jennie on the other hand, had decided to take a major in fashion design. She knew she was good at it and she was looking forward to start on her new journey soon.

Thankfully, Jisoo's Police Academy was just nearby her university.

They didn't want to be hasty and move in with each other yet. They decided to let themselves accimilate with their new environment first before taking the leap.

Jennie smiled through the kiss as these thoughts flooded her head.

Jisoo moved her face away from her and smiled at her lovingly.

"Are you done talking with your grandma?" she asked.

"Almost."

"Okay, hey there grandma Kim!" she greeted.

Jennie smiled and continued to share some more things about her life while comfortably leaning on Jisoo.

Finally, she was done and they both got up.

They walked out of the cemetary, hand-in-hand, Jennie giggling all the way at Jisoo's onslaught of funny jokes.

Once they reached her motorcycle, Jisoo held on to her waist and gazed happily into her eyes.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" she asks her.

"Only like, every five seconds." Jennie replied.

"Not enough then. Let's make it every three seconds." Jisoo joked, kissing her gently on the lips.

"You're right. And...I love you too, you idiot." she tells her, feeling quite happy and contented.

Jisoo just laughed at what she said.

"You know, everytime I'm with you, it feels like I've won the lottery. Though it would be nice to win at an actual lottery. I'd totally trade this with that."

Jennie pouted.

"Really?"

Jisoo pretended to think about it.

"I guess a cute mandu would still win over money." she teased. 

"Yah! I'm not a mandu!" she denies.

"You are a mandu, remember that, my mandeukie." she says.

Jennie huffed and puffed up her cheeks.

"You are so cheesy, Kim Jisoo!"

"You love it!"

And she did love it, she loved everything about who her girlfriend was.

"This is all your fault." she mumbles at her.

"I am ready and willing to take the blame." she says sincerely.

Then, they both laughed with one another.

Jisoo then let go and took out her spare helmet, giving it to Jennie.

"Well madame, your chariot awaits! Let's go and finally get out of highschool!" Jisoo says with a fake british accent.

"Oh my God, Chu! You are so corny." she exclaimed, laughing.

"Says the one who suddenly laughs at everything I say!" she responds.

They both looked at one another and laughed heartily.

Jisoo did make Jennie very happy, that wasn't rocket science. 

They were both made for each other.

At the end of it all, Jennie knew, it wasn't just Jisoo who was lucky to have her.

They were both lucky to have each other.

Jisoo rode her bike and gunned the engine, Jennie climbing on the back afterwards.

She held on to the person she never wanted to let go of.

"Are you ready, Princess?" she asked.

"Always."

Jisoo grinned.

She revved up her engine and they drove away towards their next destinstion.

The future was uncertain, that's for sure, but the both of them were ready to face it head on.

Like a daisy, facing each of their fears together, and finding the courage to move forward no matter what.

\- THE END -


End file.
